Web of Justice
by ScarletScriber
Summary: Peter Parker is in Gotham City with no memory of who he is. Batman finds him and decides to help him unravel the mystery of his amnesia, but there are powerful forces working against him. Not a Slash Fic!
1. A new Beginning

_**This will be a crossover between the Ultimate Spiderman Universe and the Justice League Unlimited Universe with some AU elements thrown in. Spiderman (Peter Parker) died in the Ultimate Universe so I'm picking things up one year after that. The time frame will be significant as later chapters will prove out. **_

_**Also in this JLU universe Batman has temporarily split with the Justice League after the vote to keep Hawkgirl a member after the Thanagarian invasion. He still helps the League out when needed and supplies them with funds, but Nightwing has taken his place on the active roster and Batman has gone back to focusing primarily on street work. .**_

_**I don't own the characters from the Marvel or DC universe, obviously. If I did… well below is likely what would happen…**_

**Bold Italics= Thoughts of character**

**XXXX= Scene shift/character shift**

**-Gotham City, night-**

The last few days the city's been blanketed with freezing rain, but that hasn't stopped the Flaming Fist gang from making life miserable for the citizens of Baker Avenue. In fact the weather, rather than being a deterrent has actually accelerated crime in the area. Robberies, assaults, and vandalism has increased to the point that the local police department has left this neighborhood to fend for itself.

Well, not entirely.

The vigilante Batman has taken it upon himself to try to reign in the violence. He strikes from above, swift and deadly no one's ever really been able to get a look at him, feeding the legend. The whispers among those that have been saved by him would have you believe that he was superhuman, with powers and abilities beyond most men.

Yet even with his help, most of the residents of Gotham City are still living in fear; making every step outside their homes a risk. No one is left unaffected, but one young man in particular could make the argument for having a more difficult time than anyone else

It's been three days since he's had anything to eat but water and he's living in the heart of Flaming Fist territory. Not by choice; if were up to him a lot of things would be different, but he can only play the hand he's been dealt

So far it's a pretty lousy hand.

He's homeless, has no memory beyond the last few months and apparently no one's been looking for him either. Everyday that passes he hopes that someone will recognize him, or that his memory will return.

And everyday nothing changes; except he's hungrier and feels the crushing weight of hopelessness get heavier and heavier.

Like many others, he's seen the masked crime fighter drop from the roof tops and intercede on behalf of the poor citizens in need. Unlike many others however, he doesn't fear him, he wants to join him.

To help others who are in need.

He has no idea why he feels this way. He doesn't think he has a hero complex, doesn't feel like he's anything special, he just feels a deep innate need to help. Maybe if he knew who he was before he ended up here, he'd know why he feels the way he does.

"Come 'ere chicky, chicky!"

He knows that voice by heart. It's the same one that told him if he ever caught him begging on his corner again he'd "carve him up nice and slow". It was a warning the young man did not forget. Since then he'd been spending more and more time off the street.

Yet curiosity got the better of him and from his latest hiding place; an abandoned two story walk up, he looks out the window. There he sees, Glenda, running from three of the Flaming Fist gang. A surge of anger sweeps through him.

Glenda was one of the few people he'd met since he ended up here, that treated him like a human being. She didn't have much herself, but if she saw him she would often make him a sandwich or give him whatever leftovers she had. She never asked for anything in exchange, she even let the young man use her shower once. So someone without a mean bone in her body was likely about to be beaten, robbed and probably raped for walking by herself at the wrong time of night.

_**I'm not about to let that happen!**_

**XXXX**

"Don't worry slim," the leader who was called "Pretty boy" said "We'll take good care a ya. Ain't that right, Squeaks?" He had a serrated blade aimed at her throat. It was the Flaming Fist's weapon of choice, their boss thought it to be more intimidating than a gun.

"Definitely." The massive man named Squeaks was over six and half feet tall and carved muscle. He never spoke in more than one or two word sentences on account of the fact that his voice sounded like a eight year old girl.

They managed to corner her right in front of her apartment building, she dropped her keys before she could get inside to the relative safety there. Once he'd heard her neighbors talking about banding together, that they outnumbered the gang that had taken up residence in the neighborhood, but he knew it was all talk.

No one did anything when Dennis the mail carrier had been beaten within a few feet from death. Or when Patricia had nearly gotten raped. Only reason she got away is a police cruiser happened by at the right moment. In his limited experience, no one seemed to want to be the first to fight back, the first to stand up.

"Why don't cha pick up those keys, darlin'? Or ain't cha gonna invite us in?" Red asked menacingly.

It was easy to see what they wanted. Glenda had been an aspiring actress but had fallen on hard times because she had too much integrity to follow the rules of the "casting couch". Even though she had to get a regular job working at a drug store, she was still gorgeous enough to warrant the **wrong** kind of attention, without even trying.

Without thinking the young man taps Red on the shoulder and just as he turns around slams a fist hard into his face.

He's feeling pretty good about himself as Red crumples bonelessly to the ground without so much as a whimper. He has no time to relish his victory because immediately the other two are on him, swinging wild punches and brandishing knives. He notices that Glenda is now torn between helping him and getting to safety.

"Inside Glenda, now!" getting the message she disappears into her building. Somehow in the midst of all this he manages to avoid the stabs and punches of Squeaks and Pretty boy.

"What you waiting on Squeaks, stick this kid so we can get back to the chicky!"

"Difficult."

"It's about to get a lot worse." That voice. He'd heard it before, but always from a distance, never from this close. Hearing it up close is worse than he could have imagined. It was the kind of voice that made your blood freeze in your veins.

Fear and panic cause him to close his eyes; not wanting to see what happens next.

"Crap! It's Bat-" that's all Pretty boy is able to manage as he's pulled off of him and slammed hard into the nearest wall. The next thing heard is the crack of what he hopes isn't bone followed by a girlish, chilling scream. He's still lying on the ground awaiting his turn when he hears another voice, different from the first.

"That was a brave thing you did there, son." Opening his eyes to find a massive hand outstretched is the last thing he expects to see.

"Th- thank you." he replies shivering. He wished it was the cold rain that causes it, but it's not. It's the man standing before him in the dark cloak. The man is shorter than Squeaks, but not by much and he's even more built. The general populace was decidedly split on vigilantes; whether they were a force for good or not. From blurry photographs he'd seen in the Daily Planet a few days ago, he knew this particular vigilante was called the Batman.

He watches as Batman ties up the three gang members to each other in a side alley. Glenda steps back out of her building with a bat in her hand and the young man smiles in pride. At least some people weren't content to stand by and do nothing.

"You okay kid?" she asks concerned. She doesn't see Batman busying himself with securing the unconscious men until he emerges from the alley and looks at her. "Oh!"

Seeing that the masked man has no plans on saying anything, the young man takes over. "Call the cops Glenda, tell them what happened and that they need come fast." He turns around and finds Batman looking at him curiously.

"What's your name, kid?" The young man feels foolish for not being able to answer his question.

"I don't remember, sir." Most people called him kid as in "Get out of here, kid!"

His face remains impassive, but he asks another question. "What **do** you remember?"

He remembers waking up, buried alive. Digging himself out of a grave and passing out in a cemetery. When he awoke he was in a park not five blocks from where he is now.

"I rather not to talk about it…" He answers honestly. He still wasn't sure if that was just a bad dream or if it actually happened. It seemed so much like something from a movie or a bad comic book, he didn't want to look foolish in front of the Batman.

The man, seems to be considering something. The young man wants to say something before Batman takes to the rooftops again. Before he can come up with anything, Batman speaks something into his wrist and turns back to the would be hero.

"Get in the car."

"Uh.. What car?" he asks looking around.

**XXXX**

"The car" pulled up to them on it's own and when he climbed inside he thought it was more like a tank with leather seats. It definitely was unlike any car he'd ever seen which made him very aware of how dirty and wet he was.

"Don't worry about the seats, they've seen worse." He states grimly, never taking his eyes off the road. "So you don't remember your name or how you ended up in Gotham?"

"Gotham?"

_**So that's the name of this place? I was gonna just call it Hell, but that seemed like I was underselling it a bit.**_

"Okay, let's see how total your amnesia is: Who's the President of the United States?"

"Obama. Uh… at least for right now I guess."

"Name the football teams that play in NY."

"The Buffalo Bills." he answers. The man turns from the road to look at him. "What? Both the Giants and Jets play in New Jersey so they don't count." Something like a smile hits his lips but it disappears almost as quickly.

"Where are you from?"

"How do you know I'm not from here?" He doesn't feel any connection to this place, but then he doesn't feel a connection to anything. He could be from nearby and just never seen this part of the city. At least that was his hope. He still held out for the slim chance someone would come looking for him and tell him who he was.

"I make it a point to know every meta-human in my city." he states flatly.

"Meta what?" he keeps looking out the window, hoping something will feel familiar, but it all seems so alien to him. He should've told the Batman "no thanks" and declined to get in his car, but Batman didn't seem like the type of guy you said no to.

Sighing he turns to him. "That punk, back there? You broke his jaw. One punch. And it was a badly thrown punch at that. Your technique was terrible, he was leaning at an odd angle and you still broke it."

"Guess I'm a natural…" He mumbles. He hadn't meant to hurt him, just to stop him. Besides no one else was doing anything.

"No you were **lucky** that you swing like two year old girl, because had you thrown that punch correctly Gotham PD would be trying to pry his head out of the front door. And you'd be tied up next to them." Batman replies gruffly, not bothering to look over at the young man.

He's so disturbed by his words that he doesn't notice they're heading straight for the side of a stone mountain until they drive right through it. The young man jumps in his seat and the driver just chuckles.

"Hologram." Batman answers simply

"But the 3-D mapping on it was so realistic, and there was almost no degradation when we passed through it…" This time the driver turns to him looking for an explanation. "I guess some things I just know."

"Indeed." He answers flatly.

"So you gonna tell me where we're going?" He's trying his best not to sound as scared as he feels.

_**I'm basically on a ride along with a man wearing a cape, who has to be insane, but has enough money to afford three dimensional imaging devices and a car that doubles as an urban assault vehicle… I actually would be well within my rights to freak right out.**_

"Yes." But Batman says nothing further as he drives through the tunnel.

_**Great.. I've basically volunteered to be kidnapped.**_


	2. Cave of Robins

**-The Bat Cave-**

"Is this wise, sir?" Alfred asks watching the boy devour his third sandwich of the night so far.

"If I hadn't thought it necessary, I wouldn't have done it." It was a risk letting him see Alfred and Batman together, but as far as he could tell this boy had no idea who he was, let alone who Alfred is the butler for. In actuality few people who knew Bruce Wayne intimately, knew who Alfred was, so this in his mind was a calculated risk.

Besides, Batman found something deeply trustworthy about the boy and it wasn't just the way he threw himself into harms way tonight.

"And explain to me again why, it was necessary sir?"

In Bruce's opinion two people had earned the right to overtly question his decision making; one of those people was Alfred. Although Alfred's official title was that of butler, Bruce always considered him family "He's an untrained Meta-human in my city Alfred. Tonight we got lucky, but the next time he gets into a fight could be someone else's last. Besides," Bruce adds chuckling, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm **known **for my humanitarian endeavors."

"Yes, the Batman is indeed **all** heart," Alfred muses wryly. The boy looks up, realizing they're talking about him and he wipes his mouth with a napkin before speaking.

"What is this place, like a base command or something?"

"Or something." Batman responds walking over to the boy. He instantly goes rigid, Batman realizes he's obviously still unsure of what he's going to do.

_**Living on the street makes you wary of any kindness, especially when it's offered without being asked for. Jason was the same way…**_

"I imagine you'd like to take a shower, get into some clean clothes…" Batman knows he would love to do just that, but the scowl that comes over the boys face is skeptical.

"Thanks… I mean I appreciate everything but uh… maybe you should just point me back in the direction of where I came from. I don't wanna inconvenience you."

"If it were an inconvenience, I wouldn't have offered." Bruce replies, trying not to lose his patience. "There is much you and I have to discuss, so if you want to stay in those clothes, it's totally up to you…" Bruce shrugs, heading over to his computer. He wanted to see if he could find out who this boy was, since he didn't seem to know.

"Sorry," the boy replies sheepishly. "Just not used to someone offering me anything out of kindness…"

"I can understand, but I assure I'm merely offering my help because I happen to be in a position to do so. Alfred will you show him to the shower?" Batman asks not turning around. Before he gets to work, he signals Nightwing and Robin to come in. Dick was in Gotham tracking a serial killer, so he offered to take Tim on patrol with him. Batman had been focusing on shutting down the Flaming Fist, which was why he was in that neighborhood to begin with.

Alfred throws a questioning look at Batman. "The ones in the… uh upper levels… sir?"

Batman knew that if Alfred was wary of the kid being in the Bat Cave, he definitely didn't want him in the mansion. "Yes, Alfred I imagine you can guide him upstairs… carefully." Outside of the huge painting of Martha and Thomas Wayne in the main study, there wasn't much connecting Bruce Wayne to the mansion above. Bruce was a minimalist by nature, only believing in the bare necessities even when in his playboy persona.

"Certainly," Alfred points for the boy to follow him. "I understand you have lost your memory, but we cannot have you walking around with a name…"

"Call me Ismael…" the jokes holding out his hand. Alfred shakes his head before responding.

"This is going to be like Robin all over again…" Alfred muses, referring to Dick Grayson, the original Robin.

"Well, no offense Al, but Robin is kind of a girls name so… let's think of something else okay?" The young man follows him up the steps out of the Bat Cave.

Once the two are out of sight Batman begins searching for the boys identity.

**XXXX**

Facial recognition software was running the young man's face through every database, known and unknown and so far hadn't come back with a hit. He tried DNA first but he knew it was a long shot, if anything this was going to be his best shot. At some point and time everyone, everywhere has been photographed, it was just a matter of when and where.

He stood up from his massive computer system to stretch, grimacing at the sourness in his muscles. He'd been on for the last 36 hours straight trying to track down Kenneth Royce, the supposed head of Flaming Fist. So far the man had been excellent at covering his tracks and didn't stay in anyone place long enough for Batman to catch up. So instead, Batman had been taking down his lieutenants and subordinates in the hopes of flushing him out. Nightwing had made the mistake of suggesting he get the League to help, considering all of the different pies Royce had his fingers in.

Batman didn't dignify that suggestion with a response.

First of all, Gotham was **his city**, so this was his responsibility. Secondly, he found meta-humans trusted in their abilities too much. They never planned for the possibility of a foe stronger or smarter than they were. Even worse they had no situational awareness; often hurling their enemies through buildings not even bothering to find out if they were occupied of not.

No, as far as he was concerned they could be trusted only to handle world threatening disasters or alien invasions. Anything else, he'd take care of personally.

**(Match Confirmed.)**

Batman turned back to his monitors to see what the system had turned up. It was just a newspaper Article from a rag called the Daily Bugle. The article read "Queens native wins Norman Osborne Award for Excellence in Scientific Achievement." likely just a local fluff piece. But it gave him a name; Peter Parker.

Running a search on his name he was able to access his school records confirming what the article had implied, the kid was a genius. Excelling in Math and Sciences, with an especially high aptitude for bio-chemistry.

_**Was that how he acquired his enhanced strength? Through some experiment of his? Was the strength his only ability? Not likely.**_

Watching him struggle with the two gang bangers, Batman saw his reflexes were fairly enhanced along with his agility, being able to move the way he did. There was even an agile grace to his walk, something very few people would notice.

While considering what his next move would be and continuing to read up on his history, Robin and Nightwing return from their patrol. His son Tim is excited, as is often the case.

"I had the situation under control, Dick, there was no need for you to interfere."

"Come on Tim, I know you could handle it. But there's nothing wrong with someone helping you." Bruce knew that was a shot aimed at him. Since he'd left the League he suggested that Dick take his place. Since joining Dick has fully bought into the team concept; but then Dick was always a part of team. Whether it be the Flying Grayson's, Batman and Robin, or the Teen Titans. Dick was a natural leader and worked well in that structure, so of course he couldn't understand his mentors dislike of the League.

"If I was Bruce you wouldn't have!" Tim Drake spats angrily beginning to pace. Bruce knew how desperately Tim wanted to prove himself; prove that he was better than Dick, Barbara and that he could someday be better than Bruce himself.

Bruce had little doubt the boy could possibly be the best to ever don the mask, if he stopped worrying about the opinions of others.

"If you were Bruce I wouldn't have needed to." Nightwing smirks, crossing his arms. Bruce knew that Dick saw Tim as something of a little brother and couldn't resist needling him when given the chance.

"Feh," Tim snorts disgusted. Tim then spots Peter coming down the steps and before Batman or Nightwing can react he engages him. "Intruder!"

Tim throws a series of punches and kicks at Peter, all of which he manages to dodge with ease.

"Will you stop-" Duck, dip "-trying" leap, bob "to hit me?" Peter again dodges a series of combinations that would've laid an ordinary man out cold. All Tim manages to do is make connection with the air right where Peter was.

"Batman, what-?" Nightwing notices that Batman has made no move to interfere so he is about to intervene when Batman stops him.

"I want to see how the boy handles himself." Batman states simply, watching the two of them engage each other in what almost seems to be a choreographed fight.

"Who Tim?" Nightwing asks surprised.

"No."

Tim launches a kick at Peter's midsection, Peter catches his foot and flips Tim in the air. Higher than either of them had anticipated. Peter then jumps on pure instinct to find himself high above where Tim is twisting in the air and catches him. Of course Tim uses this as an opportunity to launch a kick at him which just misses taking his head off. As Peter springs away from him, Tim tosses a rope on a nearby rock and maneuvers himself back onto the platform where both Batman and Nightwing have been watching.

Peter lands gracefully a few feet away, completely confused.

This time Batman grabs Tim to keep him from attacking again. He's seen enough.

_**The boy has enhanced reflexes, agility, dexterity and speed. Along with the strength he displayed earlier. His senses must be enhanced as well, he seemed to anticipate Tim's attacks even though Tim adapted well, he still wasn't able to lay a hand on him.**_

"Nightwing, Robin, this is Peter Parker. He is a guest," Batman looks sternly at Tim. "Not an intruder."

"How was I supposed to know that?" Tim spats angrily.

"You're just pissed the kid showed you up," Nightwing announces impressed. "Besides kid; don't you think if there was an intruder in the Bat Cave that Batman would know before either of us?"

Tim hangs his head at this. "Of course, I'm sorry… Peter."

Peter manages to nod, while still in shock over the recent revelations.

Batman picking up on Peter's situation, walks over to him. "This is a lot to take in Peter and I know you must be confused by all this, but believe me when I tell you; I will help you through this." Batman grasps both of the boy's shoulders and looks down at him.

"Well at least I have a name now…" Peter replies wryly.

**XXXX**

Batman allowed Peter to read through the data he was able to uncover, while he pulled Nightwing and Robin to the side for a conversation.

"You found him on the street huh?" Nightwing remarks looking at the young man scrolling through data. "You know the way your alter ego keeps taking in orphaned little boys, people are going to start writing Batman slash fanfics about you and your so-called wards."

Bruce sighs at Dick's joke. "I'm sure I could care less…"

"Still, he can't stay here, I mean Dick's got a point; if another young hero starts patrolling the streets of Gotham a couple of months after this kid Peter moves in. Even the people of Gotham would be able to connect the dots." Tim states mater of factly.

"Then again, people still haven't figured out the connection between the disappearing, bumbling reporter and that dude in the red cape…" Dick muses, getting a laugh from Tim. It was true that most people didn't see much beyond what they wanted to see. Tim had wanted to find out who Batman was so he pieced the puzzle together starting with Robin. If someone just looked at the situation logically it was pretty easy to figure out. But Bruce played the playboy role so well that sometimes he even fooled himself.

"For now that's not the plan…" Batman replies coolly. He did intend to train the boy to use his abilities, but when the time was right he had every intention of tracking down his one living relative and reuniting the boy with his past.

"If you say so," Dick says with a knowing smirk. "I've got to head back up to the 'Tower; I've got monitor duty tonight…"

"Who's on your serial killer then?" Bruce asks

"Freckles is gonna cover it for me. If you need me-"

"We won't." Tim answers definitively.

"Well if you miss me then," Dick returns chuckling. "J'onn, I need you to beam me up." Dick states into his communicator. "I'll tell Diana you said hello." Dick announces as the transport effect takes place.

"But I didn't-" Batman begins, but Dick is already gone.

"How'd you and Alfred ever put up with that guy?" Tim asks shaking his head.

"Take the cycle home, I need you here and well rested tomorrow after school." Batman states ignoring his question.

"Okay, no problem." Tim begins walking to his cycle and then turns around. "Wait, why?" Tim asks. He almost never socialized with Bruce during the day time anymore.

"Because Robin, Peter's going need a sparring partner…"


	3. Discipline and disappointment

**-Bat Cave- **

After getting over the initial shock that came with waking up in a bed, Peter found a note with a list of objectives printed on it:

Determine your height, weight and age.

Run three miles and determine your average speed per mile.

Study schematics of Bat-cycle.

Catalog all violent crime reported between the hours of 2am-4am last night.

At 4pm change and begin meditation in the Bat Cave gym until I arrive

There was no "Sincerely yours," or "All the best" at the end of the note; just the letter B.

"Not much of a loquacious guy, is he?" Peter wonders aloud.

"Only when he has something important to say, and most times even then he is terribly succinct, Master Peter." Alfred announces from the doorway. Peter wonders briefly if Alfred somehow has stealth abilities as well seeing as how he can sneak around the house so easily.

"Right…" Peter nods, he still wasn't comfortable with this whole situation, but he didn't see any harm in doing what he was asked. Nothing is free after all. Besides that it sounded kind of fun to him. "Any chance Al, you could tell me why he wants me to do all these things?" Peter asks holding up the list.

Alfred bristles a bit at being called Al, but answers anyway. "I imagine Master Peter, that he will explain his reasons to you himself. I wonder if I could trouble you to call me Alfred instead of Al?"

Peter smirks before responding. "Only if you'll call me Peter instead of Master Peter…"

"Follow me, Master Peter, I'll show you to where you can have breakfast."

"Sure thing Al," Peter sees Alfred crack a slight smile.

**XXXX**

After breakfast, Peter went to work on the computer, pulling up information from last night's crime reports. He was amazed to find that during that two hour time frame there had been fifteen reported muggings, twenty-two violent assaults, eight gunshot victims, three stabbings, four sexual assaults…

_**And a partridge in a pear tree… this is crazy… no wonder Batman's such a delightful person…**_

Making a note of the reports, he then got Alfred to help him with his measurements. Weighing in at a robust one-hundred and sixty-two pounds and topping out at five foot eight and a smidge he was hit with one blinding realization:

Batman, he was not.

Alfred, ever the optimist informed Peter that since he was only eighteen, he still had time to grow taller, but it was a small comfort. Next he set himself up in the gym and started to work on the treadmill. Running at full speed, he clocked in at a three and a half minute mile pace and was proud that he wasn't out of breath at the finish.

Before lunch he decided to look over the Bat-cycle schematics. He could tell that the body type was modeled after the latest Ducati, with some obvious modifications. There was a nitrous booster, it had auto inflate tires, complete with some anti-personnel stuff that was surely illegal in all fifty states and Puerto Rico.

_**This things loaded! Stinger missiles, rubber bullets, net, how did he manage to afford something like this? And who could you hire to do all this custom work?**_

Peter was enjoying looking over the various specifications, hoping that maybe if he was a good enough student he might get the chance to take one for a spin.

By the time Alfred asked him if he wanted lunch, Peter felt confident that he could take one out for test drive and only **slightly** injure himself.

Alfred joined him for lunch and Peter tried to draw him out about Batman; he found there was very limited information about him on the internet. Since he didn't do interviews like the other superheroes. Apparently guys like Flash and Superman loved the attention; even Wonder Woman was in the news quite a bit. But Peter imagined that had something to do with her being a princess from some distant island.

"Come on Al," Peter begs, taking a bite of his tuna salad. "Gotta be something you can tell me about the Bat… He's gotta be well-funded, I mean is he independently wealthy or is some billionaire paying for his crusade?"

Peter liked the idea that Alfred was the rich uncle of Batman and the first to don the cape and cowl. He was greatly disappointed to find Alfred had no living relatives and that information about him stopped sometime after the Vietnam War. Apparently according to public record he was pretty much presumed dead.

"I'm sure that whatever the Batman believes you need to know; you will know, Master Peter." Alfred answers dryly sipping his Earl Grey tea.

Peter frowns finishing up his second helping. "You are a soggy sandwich, Al…"

"So I have been told…" Alfred returns.

**XXXX**

After finding out it waspointless to try and pry information from Alfred, It was nearly time for his scheduled mediation time.

_**Clear mind, Daniel-son, mind cluttered, no good, too many mind…**_

Unfortunately Peter found he was not built for sitting and thinking about nothing. In fact, he found the more he tried to clear his mind, the more obscure random thoughts intruded.

_**Apple Jacks may not taste like apples, but Honey Nut cheerios doesn't taste like honey or nuts either… maybe they should just call everything "cereal" and then you could decide what you want by the picture on the box…? If they did that though would kids want to eat anything but Lucky Charms… I mean I'm partial to raisin bran, but I'd probably be the exception not the rule… Speaking of rules, why would the Trix rabbit agree to appear on a box of cereal he's forbidden to eat? Who negotiated that deal?**_

"Meditation is supposed to help your focus; not destroy it completely…"

Peter opens his eyes to see both Batman and Robin standing over him. He hadn't heard them come in, didn't even notice them looming over him until he spoke.

"Yeah, we shouldn't be able to sneak up on you **this **easily." Robin retorts smugly

"In my defense, my eyes were closed…" Peter mumbles, slightly annoyed.

"That's no excuse," Robin continues. "You should've felt the padded floor give with our footsteps, or the light distribution in the room change with our presence. Or even-"

With a look Batman manages to silence Robin's rant. "I plan on helping you develop these skills, Peter. I did not and do not expect you to be at Robin's level on day one." Batman again looks at his protégé. "And neither does anyone else, but with you're abilities, for the safety of yourself and others, you need to be trained."

Peter gets to his feet and smiles. "Well, let's get started then."

**XXXX**

Two hours later, Peter is feeling like his arms and legs are made of lead. Robin is just as winded but trying desperately not to show it.

Of course Batman's voice is just as steady and calm as ever as he speaks.

"Not terrible for a first day, Peter. Your technique is already showing signs of improvement, but that isn't saying much considering where you began…"

Before Robin can think about snickering, both Peter and Batman shoot him a look and he shrugs.

"Yeah, Pete, you were pretty raw, but with us helping you, you could be pretty solid…"

Peter smiles gratefully, toweling off his forehead. "Thanks, Ro- listen guys…" Peter begins tossing the towel down. "I appreciate all that you've done for me. I mean considering where I was last week… well I'm sure you can guess. But if I'm going to be staying here, training here, I think I should at least be able to call you by your first names."

Batman and Robin share a look of contemplation.

"I understand, you know, secret identities and the reason for them. But I'm not gonna go to the police; considering how well you're funded, I imagine you probably have some allies there. And as far as your enemies-"

"If I thought you were a risk or a threat to me, I could deal with you. Easily." Batman interrupts. The definitive way he says that makes Peter shiver a bit in fear. "I have not revealed my identity to you because you hadn't asked…"

At the sight of Peter's open mouth expression Robin begins laughing and even Batman allows a smirk to briefly appear on his lips.

"Okay, fine then. I'm asking now; who are you?"

"I am Batman." Batman answers simply. "But I was born Bruce Wayne." At that Batman removes his mask and looks at Peter.

Peter was expecting some rough looking guy with scars, not someone who looks like this. Then the realization of where he'd heard that name comes to him.

"The billionaire!" Peter had come across a couple of articles about him. Mostly regarding Wayne Technologies, since Peter discovered that he was a bit of an electronics geek, he'd been reading up on some of their innovations. Everything now made perfect sense.

The equipment, the facility itself and even the house above. He'd only been allowed to access certain areas of the mansion, but he could tell it was expansive. Regarding Bruce Wayne, he also recalled how his parents were murdered in front of him and how he disappeared from the public eye until showing up a decade later.

_**He went away to train… to become… who he is now. And he's motivated because of what he went though… **_

Of course that still didn't explain who the sidekick was.

"And I'm Tim Drake," Tim taking off his own mask, smirking. "Of course I didn't need Batman to spell out to me who he was. I figured out his and the identity of Nightwing on my own…"

"Given time, perhaps Peter would have as well," Bruce looks over to Peter. "After all he is quite intelligent in his own right. Still I hope you understand the weight of what we've just revealed to you Peter."

"I do," Peter nods sincerely. "And since you're training me, when do I get to join you guys and start helping people?"

Bruce furrows his brow a bit, before answering. "Peter, understand I was not training you for that." Seeing Peter's disappointed face, he continues. "As a Meta-human, you need to be aware of your abilities and what your limitations are, so that you do not harm anyone. But what we do… well it can't be done by someone like you…"

_**Someone like me? Does he mean someone untrained? Someone with amnesia? Or-**_

"Someone with abilities…"

Batman nods. "There are other teams out there; the Teen Titans, or even the Justice League that could use someone with your skill set. But Gotham, is-"

"Your city, right?" Peter spats angrily. "And no one does anything in your city without the Bat seal of approval! Why even have me do all that stuff I did today in the first place?" Before Bruce can respond, Peter leaves the training area to go back to his room.

**XXXX**

"That was a little hard, Bruce," Tim says as the two walk from the training room.

"It needed to be said, Tim." Bruce answers curtly before settling behind his computers. "He didn't grow up here, doesn't know the lay of the land and is as raw as they come. To get him up to the level he would be effective would take **years**. Years in which my ability to defend and protect Gotham would be cut in half."

"I don't know," Tim states shaking his head. "The guy seems to be a quick learner and besides that, having someone like him around when we gotta tangle with crooks like the Croc and Bane… might not be so bad."

Batman turns to face Tim, slightly disappointed. "It's that type of thinking that makes Meta-humans so dangerous. Relying on powers, instead using proper planning and intelligence to defeat your opponent makes you vulnerable." Batman turns back around to review the logs from last night. "And since when are you a supporter of his? Just a few hours ago you were telling me I should have left him where I found him."

"I know but," Tim rubs the back of his head slightly embarrassed. "I guess, I was kinda jealous, you know of the stuff he can do. But even I can tell he'd be an asset to Gotham and since you're always complaining about irresponsible Meta's wouldn't this be a great opportunity to show what a responsible one can do? If **properly** trained, that is…"

Bruce considers Tim's words, but is unable to comment on them as Zatana teleports into the Bat Cave.

"Why are you here?"

"Geez, Bruce, nice to see you again too!" Zatana snorts after the Watchtower's teleportation effect wears off. "How's it going, Tim?"

"…Good… Zatana. Ho- how are you?" Tim stammers.

While Zatana always found it cute that Tim Drake had something of a crush on her, Bruce found it annoying. He knew that Zatana had grown into a beautiful woman, but that Tim was so easily distracted by her presence made him even more resolved to distance himself from a certain Amazon. Distraction may not hurt you when you're bullet proof like the farm boy from Kansas, but for him and his, distraction meant death.

"Not too bad…" Zatana replies, wrapping a friendly arm around Tim's shoulder, causing Bruce to stand and face the two of them.

"You were just about to explain to me why you were here, I suggest you do so." Bruce responds, glaring at her. As much as he appreciated her as a valuable team member and someone he considered a friend; magic always made him uneasy. Zatana only came around when magic was involved.

"Yes, well it's a little difficult to explain…" She begins walking over to Bruce. "But there's been a- a kind of static around Gotham lately and it's been increasing."

"Static?" Bruce doesn't like the way this going already.

"Yes… um… well just have you noticed anything especially unusual lately? Odd behavior, strange disappearances…"

"You do realize this is **Gotham** you're talking about, right Zee?" Bruce asks staring at her. "That's a **nightly** concern…"

"Right, right," Zatana begins pacing, chewing her nails nervously. "This would be something that would be remarkable even compared to Gotham standards… something… something…"

"Evil?" Tim asks and then immediately looks down realizing how foolish he sounded.

"No, not sinister, but-" Zatana sighs. "Never mind, this could all be nothing, I just wanted to check and be sure you hadn't gotten wind of anything…"

"If we do we'll call you!" Tim blurts out.

"Thanks, sweetie." Zatana answers kissing Robin on the cheek, earning an exaggerated eye roll from Bruce. "Bruce, that reminds me; Diana and Superman want you on the Watchtower tomorrow night."

The mention of Diana causes Bruce's pulse to jump ever so slightly, but his face shows no change. "Why? I'm not due for monitoring duty for another month."

"This is **founder** business, Bruce. Despite your current member status, you still have a seat at the big table…" Zatana understood why Bruce left; Shayera aside, he just was never comfortable in the sky. Batman needed to have his feet on the ground, blood on his fists, it was something few in the league understood.

"What time?" Bruce asks sighing, wondering what this could be about.

"8pm. They know you don't start you patrol until later, and they didn't want to interrupt your routine…"

"Considerate of them," Bruce states flatly. "I'll be there. And Zee? Next time? Call first."

Zatana sticks out her tongue playfully before contacting J'onn. "Used to be a time when I didn't need to…"

Once she's gone, Bruce turns to Robin who is still drooling. When Tim feels Bruce looking at him he starts walking away.

"I'm gonna hit the showers…"

**XXXX**

Peter has been staring at the walls of his new room, trying to think of a way to convince Batman to let him join his crusade.

"If you are ever going to join my team, you're going to need to work on your situational awareness…"

Peter turns to see Batman in full gear, looking ready to go on patrol.

"I can learn to do that if you give me the chance…" Peter replies standing.

Batman nods thoughtfully before speaking. "We do this **my way**; no complaining, no giving up. You do what I say when I say it and how I say it. The second you give me attitude or anything less than a hundred percent, you're done. No second chances. We begin tomorrow."

Before Peter can agree or thank him, Batman leaves the room. Leaving a very excited and anxious Peter to try and get some sleep.


	4. Trial run

_**A/N: Thanks to all the readers who have made this story a favorite! I'd love some reviews and criticisms but at least I know people are reading! The pace will begin to pick up a bit so hang tight!**_

**-Bat Cave-**

Bruce had to admit it; Tim had been right about Peter.

He was an extremely quick study.

The first few sessions with him had been brutal, for all of his reflexes and agility, Peter was erratic and clumsy in his movements. Bruce learned that Peter had some sort of "danger sense" which allowed him to avoid getting hit. But the way he would dodge often left him open to a follow up attack if you planned correctly.

Initially, if Bruce feinted one way and went the other Peter was unable to avoid the blow. By the third week, Peter was completely untouchable, unless Batman was prepared to use lethal tactics. Peter's senses relied purely on intent; if you meant to do him harm, he would know. Through training Peter was able to develop his senses to the point that even if Batman was merely thinking about attacking Peter was able to know it.

Satisfied at his ability to evade, he moved Peter to the next phase which was hand to hand combat techniques. With his speed and strength this was potentially dangerous, but Peter seemed to understand restraint almost intuitively, controlling the force of his blows easily. The way he picked up on the various techniques Bruce would swear he'd had some type of previous combat experience.

Perhaps he did, after all his amnesia seemed to completely erase the first eighteen years of his life. Not even leaving behind trace elements of that former life. Batman through all his resources had not been able to find anything more on Peter than that newspaper article and his school records. No record of any living relatives whatsoever, which more than anything else bothered Batman.

He'd done the same thing for Alfred, wiping out most of his past to protect his identity; but this didn't feel the same. It was as if Peter had never existed at all.

For now Batman puts those thoughts aside as he sips his coffee going over the notes he'd been compiling on Peter's progress. He needed to determine if Peter was indeed ready for the field test that Batman had prepared for tonight.

"I take it you are happy with your new protégé?"

"Spectre," Batman grunts without turning from his logs. "You're the second magical being to visit me in the last few months... I don't know whether to be honored or annoyed."

"By your voice Bruce, I imagine you've already decided to be annoyed." Batman had previous interactions with the man once known as Jim Corrigan, the Spectre wanted Batman to become an agent of vengeance. An instrument to be used to cleanse the world of evil and injustice. Several times Batman had declined.

Since the death of his parents, he had tried hard to avoid going down the path of simple revenge. He thought of himself as a protector of justice, not as someone simply out for vengeance.

Even when the Spectre gave him the chance to kill the man who murdered his parents, Batman resisted him.

There existed an uneasy respect between the two, Batman though, was still wary of the nearly omnipotent being. That much power given to a mortal man like Corrigan didn't sit well with the Dark Knight.

Batman turns to face the Spectre standing from his seat. "Why are you here?"

"To mark a moment of significance..." Spectre answers simply, floating slightly above the ground. Batman to his credit recognizes almost immediately what he is referring to.

"You know who he **really is**... why he's really here..." Batman states simply.

"Of course I do..." Spectre replies fading from view. "Don't **you**?"

After he fades completely from the Bat Cave, Batman opens a line on his communicator. "J'onn is Fate aboard the Watchtower?"

"No, Batman he is Indonesia helping to recover some lost mystical items. Shall I have him contact you once he returns?"

Batman thinks about it for a moment, before responding. "No, I'll be coming up to the 'Tower later. I'll grab some face time with him then... Batman out."

There was no way that the sudden appearance of Peter into his life and the recent visits of two mystical beings were unrelated. This took precedence over Peter's field test. As much as he wanted to be there for this himself, Nightwing would have to handle it for him.

**-Wayne Tower-**

"We're pretty high up..." Peter muses looking down. He's dressed in all black and has a ski mask over his face. Beside him Nightwing and Robin turn to him.

"Scared of heights?" Robin asks curiously. Over the course of the last few months their relationship has become more of a friendly rivalry. Peter and Tim actually had a great deal in common leading to an eventual friendship between the two of them. Tim still let Peter have it whenever he could, but now Peter was comfortable giving back as good as he got.

"Actually not really," Peter answers surprised at himself. He found there really wasn't much that he was afraid of, except the fact that he was completely calm in this absurd situation. "So what's my objective?"

"Apprehension and prevention." Nightwing answers smiling. Peter thought Nightwing was like a "Batman Light"; just as much skill but half the anger and brooding. "You're going to try and tag both of us as we run through the city while keeping an eye out for any crimes in progress. If you come across one, you are to stop it but not loose track of us."

"When do we-" Peter starts but both Dick and Tim have already leaped from the building, disappearing into the night. "Great..."

**-Two hours earlier-**

"What the heck are those?" Robin asks, pointing to the gauntlets on Peter's wrists.

"Well I took your typical grappling array and modified it... I had this idea..."

"Idea?"

"Yeah, see uh... Batman figured out that my DNA contained elements of an arachnid, which is why I have the agility and all the rest..."

"Uh... Ew..."

"So I thought I should have some webs of my own..." Peter then depresses a tab on the gauntlet and thin stream fires from it. He then pulls on it to show the strength of the fibers.

"How'd you even come up with something like that?"

"Well I started looking up artificial polymers online and then I came across an article about suspension bridge repair written by Professor Curt-"

"Never mind." Tim interrupts making a face. "Chemistry is not my thing..." Tim then takes a closer look at the gauntlets activation nodule. "Won't you accidentally set it off every time you make a fist?"

Peter then shows Tim that in order to activate it he needs to reach back in a certain way and that he can ball his fist without setting it off. Peter is pleased to show them off, it was difficult making them.

"What else can it do?" Tim asks wondering if Peter would make one for him.

"You'll find out tonight little birdie..."

**-Gotham city skies-**

_**Alright, here's where I either end up a stain on a skyscraper or a genius…**_

Peter fires a line on the nearest building and leaps off Wayne Tower.

"Ohhhhhh sh-" Peter is surprised by how fast he is pulled towards the building, but he fires a secondary line, changing direction quickly. By pulling himself along, he is able to catch up to Robin easily.

Inches away from tagging Robin he's interrupted by a gun wielding mugger chasing a woman down an alley.

_**Seriously, Gotham you is one jacked up town…**_

Flipping mid-air he lands quietly behind the assailant and taps him on the shoulder.

"Dude, how are you gonna mug someone with the safety on…?" In the second of distraction as the thug looks at his gun, Peter disarms him and knocks him out cold.

The woman hugs Peter unexpectedly, thanking him for saving her.

_**You would think people would be less quick to hug masked guys who drop in from the sky, but I guess this counts as normal around here…**_

In his best Clint Eastwood voice, Peter puts two fingers to the top of his ski mask as if tipping his cap. "Shucks, Ma'am think nothing of it. Just glad I can help."

Leaping twenty feet in the air he swings at full speed to catch back up to Robin.

Unfortunately Robin has made it to his cycle and now is flooring it down North Main.

_**I just gotta tag his bike with a line and…**_

Peter's aim is true and Robin doesn't seem to notice he's picked up the extra weight. Using another line to stabilize himself Peter launches himself at Robin.

Peter lands gracefully on the back of the cycle, balancing on the small space behind Robin.

"Ahh!" Robin shouts, surprised at the sudden appearance of Peter. "No free rides!" Robin then guns the bike to try and shake Peter off, but Peter tags Robin's helmet easily.

"Sorry, little birdie you lose!" Peter leaps off the bike onto a nearby lamp post as Robin skids to a halt a few feet away. "But we have some lovely parting gifts for you! Tell him what he's won, Bob! **Humiliation **and the feeling one gets when they are utterly pwned!"

Robin promptly flips Peter off with a smirk. "You might have caught me, but you've lost sight of Nightwing, which makes you the **real** loser tonight!"

_**Crap!**_

**-Watchtower-**

Batman strides through the recently renovated Watchtower and sighs heavily.

Even though he funded the building of both Watchtower's through Wayne Enterprises, set up the computer systems and pretty much knew every inch of the place; he never felt comfortable here. Hovering high above the people of Earth, felt a bit too grandiose for his tastes.

The irony is; this was his idea.

To have a station to monitor extraterrestrial threats before they landed on earth. And for a lot of heroes this was a place where they could be themselves, let down their guard. A home of sorts for quite a few, but he knew never feel that way.

His home, as crazy as it seemed to some, was on the streets of Gotham.

"Batman, you are early for your shift..." Martian Manhunter typically spends all of his time in the monitoring station, Superman had suggested the idea of shifts in case J'onn ever wanted to have time to himself. Slowly they managed to get him to take time for himself; Superman argued the League only had room for one obsessive personality.

Batman agreed.

"Yes, I was hoping to catch Fate before he headed back to his isolation..." Batman replies taking note of the Martian before him. Superman would never understand the pain that J'onn carried or sympathize with J'onn's need to throw himself into his work. In Batman's eyes, Superman grew up sheltered, hidden away from the true evil in the hearts of man. He could never comprehend what it was like to walk in the shoes of men like them.

"Nope, the good doctor is not in," Zatanna's pleasant voice comes in from the doorway. Batman acknowledges her with a nod and turns back to J'onn.

"What about Midnite, J'onn, can you reach him?" Batman asks, thinking of other mystics he could consult.

"I'm afraid-"

"-that he is also unavailable Bruce." Zatanna interrupts flashing a smile. "But if you need assistance of a magical nature, I'm available."

Batman turns to J'onn hoping that he can offer someone else.

Picking up on his thoughts, J'onn shakes his head slowly allowing a small smirk. "Zatanna would be your best option right now, Batman."

Zatanna to her credit didn't say anything further and Batman was grateful. He was agitated enough. If he could help it he preferred not to involve her in things that could be potentially dangerous. He felt protective of her, after being so close to her father, he tried to spare her as much as he could.

Now he had a situation in front of him with all the early markings of trouble; how much trouble was what he needed help in finding out.

He began to pace thinking.

_**What do I really know? Zatanna came to me months ago talking about mystical static in Gotham. She has not mentioned anything since then, so that blip could be completely unrelated to the Spectre's visit today. Nothing has shown up unusual, my running into Peter while strange was inevitable. Eventually he would have done something to garner my attention…**_

Batman can tell Zatanna's getting anxious watching him, J'onn is curious as well, but in his typical way remains stoic.

_**When I asked Spectre if he knew the truth about Peter, he seemed to know something more than me. Yet he is an omnipotent force given flesh, so that's not a surprise… still I need to know what he does. Fate would be the best one to give Peter a look. Zatanna, though very skilled is not as sensitive as he is to mystical tampering. Although she did know that something was wrong in Gotham. A fact none of the other mystics in the Justice League brought to my attention…**_

"Bruuuuuuucccceee…."

"Zee," Batman rubs his temple, slightly irritated. "I need your help with something…"

Zatanna's face lit with surprise, manages to nod. "Of course, Bruce."

Batman nods still thinking.

_**And I'll need one more person's help, although that will be even more complicated…**_

**-Arkham Asylum-**

Lying in his bed he's himself unable to sleep.

_**Tomorrow…**_

It's a word that holds so much promise, so much uncertainty.

_**The sun'll come out Tomorrow…**_

He's always lived each moment of his life to the fullest. At least the moments he remembers, he doesn't remember much about his life before the accident that brought out his true self. Made him the man he'd always longed to be.

_**Bet cha bottom dollar that Tomorrow…**_

Maybe that's why he was so drawn to him. Their dynamic probably didn't make sense to the casual observer. After all one was trying to save the world from darkness, the other trying to plunge it further into the abyss. But he knew the truth. He knew that each man had a "day". A day that changed the course of every single subsequent "tomorrow" that would follow. A day neither man would ever forget.

_**There'll be sun…**_

Besides that, one couldn't exist without the other. Without evil to rail against, what would Batman be? Just a Cosplay enthusiast with a lot of gadgets. By that same token though, he himself would be nothing without him.

_**Just thinking' about… Tomorrow**_

Oh sure he'd still have his share of fun; he had plenty of others to play with, but there was only one Batman. One man he wanted to see beaten and broken within an inch of his life.

_**Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow…**_

People always assumed he wanted the man dead, but that was so far from the truth. If anything it was too much fun having him around. It was why he couldn't sleep; because he knew tomorrow he'd be seeing him again.

In the darkness of his cell, a smile that seems permanently etched on his face; grows wider.

'_**Til there's none!**_

_**-**_**Gotham city rooftops-**

"Nice job kid,"

"Thanks," Peter acknowledges slightly out of breath. By the time he caught up to Nightwing he'd stopped three assaults, a convenience store robbery and freed a family from wrecked SUV. If this was indicative of a normal night's patrol; he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

He then cornered Nightwing in an abandoned warehouse and all he had to do was touch him.

For all his speed and agility it took him nearly thirty minutes just to land two fingers on the man. If Peter didn't know better he'd think Nightwing was faster than him. Every time he made a move, Dick countered it. He was two or three steps ahead of him, frustrating Peter to no end.

"I got lucky…" Peter groans, quietly. For all his training he was still no where near Nightwing's level. He guessed it was unreasonable to think he would be, but it was still disappointing to know how far behind he was.

Nightwing shook his head, tossing him a bottle of water. "Nonsense, you adapted and you used your environment to your advantage. That shows real promise. You're not always going to be able to out duel your opponent, despite your abilities, so sometimes you're going to have to out think and out maneuver them…"

Peter had used his webs to set up a couple of sticky traps on the floor while they fought. He kept Nightwing's attention focused on his attacks while trying to position him on one. It took some time, but Dick finally stepped into a trap and Peter used his immobility to tag him.

"Yeah Pete," Robin agrees. "If you sucked; I'd be the first to tell you…"

Peter smiled at Robin nodding. "Well that's oddly comforting…"

Nightwing stands and fires a line across to the adjacent building. "Come on, let's head in… the sun's due up in a few minutes, Batman will be wondering about how you did…"

**-Watchtower training room-**

"Ugh! You don't pull your punches do you Shayera?"

"Never learned how…" Hawkgirl swings her mace again only to have her blow redirected by Diana's bracelets. "Just what are those things made of anyway?" She asks, as her arms vibrate after each deflected blow.

"Feminum, a metal not found naturally occurring in the world. At least not man's world, right Princess?"

Both women turn at the voice at the doorway wearing equal expressions of surprise. Although for different reasons.

Diana knows for a fact that Batman has been purposely avoiding Shayera, making sure their schedules never coincide. So for him to be here now when in just another hour Shayera would be off duty, was strange.

In addition to that, he never sought Diana out. She'd ran into him a few times and he'd been pleasant enough. Which for Batman only meant that he used full sentences and scowled slightly less. But it had always been **her** bumping into **him**, never the other way around.

_**If the man wanted to avoid you, you would never lay eyes on him… so why is he here?**_

Her eyes ran over his tight frame, accentuated by the black form fitting material of his costume and wondered for the thousandth time how a mortal with no special abilities could be so fit. Kal was a incredibly built man, but Diana knew it was more due to his Kryptonian heritage and not due to any training. Bruce **made** himself into the man he is.

"Yes… of course you're right Batman…" Diana manages, she's given up trying to figure out how he knew the things he did. She just accepted that he knew things, even things he had no business knowing.

Batman, nods and continues turning to face Hawkgirl. "I need a moment with the Amazonian, Hawkgirl."

Hawkgirl shrugs her shoulders, dropping her mace slightly. "Not like I was ever going to get through her defenses any way…" Shayera walks past Batman, slightly nervous and stops when she hears his voice.

"Given time, I think you would've found success, you are nothing if not determined…"

Beaming slightly at the rare compliment, she turns to see him facing her. "Thank you, Batman." He nods simply and Wonder Woman hopes against all hope that she sees the beginnings of forgiveness in his attitude. It had been a long road for Shayera to regain Diana's trust, but she had always been more willing to trust than him.

Not that she blamed him for his attitude. The world he knew taught him that no one's intensions were completely pure.

She wished she could change his mind.

"It is good to see you Batman," Wonder Woman states, wiping the sweat from her face with a towel. She manages to keep her voice level when she asks. "Did you have something you wanted to discuss with me?" Wanting to see her alone, was also a surprise. They hadn't been alone since the night she'd joined him on patrol.

Though she'd never tell him so, that night had been extremely special to her. Especially given all he'd done to return her to her true form. It was then she realized the feelings she had for him were justified, even if he would never express it. At least she got to see a glimpse of his heart.

Batman steps further into the room his presence making her acutely aware of her own accelerated heart beat.

"I need you…"


	5. More questions and more awkwardness

_**A/N: Thank you for all the support and reviews! Glad to see people are enjoying the story so far!**_

**-Watchtower, training room-**

Bruce's lips were moving but Diana found the words unintelligible.

"_**I need you…"**_

Never in all the time she'd known him had he uttered that phrase. He suggested a course of action, ordered it or outright demanded; he never asked. And he certainly never admitted **need**.

Yet there it was, three small words that had set her entire being aflame with feelings she had only recently been able to define. Despite her best efforts she was developing a romantic interest in this man. A man who rarely showed his face, rarely smiled, or laughed or did anything that most women found endearing.

Wally was the light-hearted joker; Clark the lovable boy scout. John had that military thing going for him and J'onn was introspective and deep. In their own ways all of these men were attractive to Diana, but it was Bruce who she felt the deepest connection to.

He was a warrior; plain and simple. An avenger of the night. His body a finely tuned machine carved from years of dedication, sweat and pain. To a woman raised on an island of warriors he was the single most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"Princess?"

Her title, from his mouth had a way of being both sweet and disrespectful, yet it was enough to snap her from her daze. "Batman, I apologize, I did not hear you clearly…"

The look of disbelief and irritation he shot her made her smile. This was foreign territory for him and she could not resist savoring it.

Batman again detailed the fact that he needed Diana, or more accurately her lasso of truth. When Diana offered that he simply borrow it, Batman sneered and declined.

_**Ah yes, the logical Batman simply abhors magic… **_

Apparently events were taking place in Gotham that caused him to rethink his position on it. Diana was intrigued, since on his own he had always been able of thinking through any problem.

"Good you found her…" Zatanna quips from the doorway. Diana took in the brunette with a slight twinge of jealousy. She was Bruce's oldest friend in the League. Zatanna had known him before he donned the cape and cowl. When he had been young and untried; before Jokers, and Thanagarian invasions. Diana would have liked to have known him then.

The way Zatanna looked at him, when she thought no one was paying attention, Diana could see a longing. She often wondered if the two of them had been intimate during his younger days.

"Yes he has, although I have been told I'm not difficult to find…" Diana jokes, turning to Bruce and notices the slight flicker of a smile on the corner of his mouth. Like always, though it was gone before she could say for certain she'd seen it or imagined it.

"Both of you know I am… uneasy… dealing with magic, yet I find myself in a situation where I am left with no other choice. Conventional methods have failed me…" The frustration in Batman's voice is evident and Diana takes a step towards him. Realizing what she'd planned to do, she stopped just short of him.

"Whatever you need Batman, I will assist in any way I can…" Clenching her fists to quell that sudden urge she had to touch him, she keeps her voice light and even. She was so powerfully drawn to him. On several occasions she found herself fighting urges she was unfamiliar with.

Batman nods, leaving the room. Zatanna remains staring at the Amazon with a playful smile on her lips.

"I just bet you will…"

**-The Bat Cave-**

He could have just as easily had J'onn contact Diana, or had Zatanna explain the situation to her; but he had wanted to see her.

Alfred often suggested that he had masochistic tendencies and at this moment Bruce was confident in his butler's assessment.

He knew what she did to him. How easily and effortlessly she upset his balance, threw him off his game. Her very presence enough to unnerve him.

On the outside he was still calm and calculating, but inside he was a cauldron of emotion.

Even drenched in sweat, grunting with exertion; she was gorgeous. The way her raven hair clung to her face and neck. The way her eyes sparkled with delight and determination. The way her chest heaved as she took in air. Everything about the woman screamed beauty.

_**Of course she was made that way…**_

The cynic in Bruce never failed to rear it's head whenever he was faced with an uncomfortable truth. So according to the cynic he was attracted to Diana simply because he was a man. He had no say in the matter. The cynic further went on to point out the irony of a race of women determined to have nothing to do with men, creating every man's fantasy as their princess.

Long hair, warm eyes, pouting lips, full breasts that led to a tapered waist and wide hips that took you to legs that never seemed to stop. And Wally wasn't the only one who'd been caught staring at Diana's shapely backside. Even Clark had taken a peek.

"You're getting very good at moving without making noise, Peter." Batman smiles as the young man groans.

"Man… I thought I had you for a second…" Peter takes a seat next to Batman at the main computer station. "Are you sure you don't have a spider sense of your own?"

Batman turns to face Peter, removing his cowl, looking at him questioningly. "Spider sense?"

Peter, rubs the back of his head slightly embarrassed. "Well since you found out about my DNA I started researching spiders to see what I could learn… I found out that some of them have nerve conduction so fast they're able to avoid danger almost before it happens… so…"

"So Spider Sense…" Bruce finishes with a low chuckle. Something about Peter was so innocent and unassuming it made you instantly like him. Yet as much as he did like Peter, the events of the last few months couldn't be ignored.

"Zatanna, just drop it!"

Bruce turned his chair completely around to come face to face with the two materializing brunettes. A glance at Peter's face told him what he was thinking before he said it.

"Damn…!" Peter whispered to himself. Peter was looking at both women appreciatively, but he lingered on Diana the longest.

_**For obvious reasons…**_

Wonder Woman was wearing a pair of very tight black jeans and an equally tight T-shirt with the words "Got Milk" emblazoned on it. Wally had brought the t-shirt as a joke and when he tried to explain the meaning behind the joke, Diana simply looked puzzled. Since then no one has tried to explain it to her again and because it was a gift, one of her first since coming to this land, she wore it proudly.

Zatanna was dressed equally casual in a pair of Capri pants and a sweater, since she often complained about how cold it was in the cave.

"Drop what?" Bruce asked referring to Diana's words during transit. He watched amused as Diana turned bright red and Zatanna chuckled heartily. It was somehow pleasing to him to see her embarrassed.

"Never mind Bruce, you wouldn't understand…" Diana shot her a look of gratitude and made her way over to them.

"You must be Peter, nice to meet you. I'm Diana." Diana sticks her hand out towards Peter.

"Yes it's nice to meet me too.. I'm Peter…" He is still holding her hand even as she tries to remove it from his grip.

"Yes… I know… um… will you release my hand?"

**XXXX**

Peter was lying on the medical examination table in the Cave's infirmary feeling very nervous.

"If anything bursts out of my chest, do me a favor and try not to scream to loudly…" Peter quips. The blank expression of Batman coupled with the puzzled expressions of Diana and Zatanna cause Peter to frown. "C'mon people… Alien? It's like all you guys do is chase criminals…"

Zatanna offers him a warm smile gently pushing his forehead flat against the table. "Try and relax Peter, this shouldn't take long…" Zatanna then closes her eyes and Peter can tell she's concentrating. "laeveR!"

Peter then felt a warmth spread throughout his entire being and his eyes shut involuntarily Images began swirling through is head. Images that were both foreign and somehow familiar to him. A red-headed girl with a warm smile, some sort of lizard like monster snarling at him, an older woman crying. Then there was pain an indescribable pain that caused him to leap from the table.

**XXXX**

"Ugh!" Peter crouches in front of them, his face awash with anguish, but it was his eyes that Batman noticed first. They were devoid of any emotion; almost dead in the way they looked. Yet everything in his posture and demeanor indicated he was poised to attack.

"mlaC nwod!" Zatanna yells, but Peter only seems to become more enraged. He hasn't attacked yet, but Batman can tell that he will if allowed to continue. He motions for Diana to restrain him. With speed that would have made Flash proud, she lasso's one of Peter's feet.

Peter instantly calms a bit, under the lasso's affect. Diana then firmly but gently helps him to a seated position on the table. He stares at her blankly as if awaiting her instruction. Batman had seen many under the influence of the lasso, yet he'd never seen someone so susceptible to it.

Wrapping another loop around Peter's chest, Diana turns to Batman to see what he wants her to do next.

"Ask him who he is." Batman figured it best to start with something simple, to see just how effective the lasso would be.

"Who are you?" Diana asks, tightening her grip on the rope.

"Peter Parker…" Peter answers simply. There's a brief glimmer of sarcasm in his voice as if to say 'who else would I be?'. Bruce then tells her to ask him where he's from.

"Queens, NY…" There is uncertainty in his answer. Bruce then realizes that he only knows that because of the newspaper article and the school records they'd found. Information that had now evaporated from cyberspace as if it had never been there to begin with.

"Who is your family, Peter?" Zatanna asks warily.

"Bruce, Tim, Dick and Al…" Peter answers with a smile. Zatanna and Diana both look at Bruce in shock. Bruce was surprised himself that Peter thought that way about them.

"Before you met us, who did you live with?" Batman hopes that this question might yield some better answers.

Peter's face twists painfully as he attempts to answer. His features smooth out to a blank stare and he answers. "No one."

"Do you remember where you were before you showed up in Gotham?"

Peter shivers noticeably. "In the **cold**." There's a pause and an audible click in his jaw when he adds. "In the Black."

The three share equal looks of confusion. Batman is disappointed.

The Lasso was supposed to compel the person to tell the truth, but these answers, while true, simply led to more questions. He decided to try a different tact.

"Are you human?"

"Yes." An almost Peter-like chuckle tries to escape his lips, but due to the influence of Zatanna and Wonder Woman it comes out as a raspy, strangled sound.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell us why?"

Peter begins shaking, as if trying to free himself from the ropes grip. Diana attempts to restrain him, but underestimates his strength and flexibility. Peter leaps free of the rope, twisting in the air he dives for Diana.

"nruteR ot lamron!" Zatanna yells just before the moment of impact.

Peter regains his senses just in time to land face first in Wonder Woman's ample cleavage. Peter awkwardly regains his balance by pushing against her chest. Noticing the stares the others give him he quickly removes his hands.

"This isn't what it looks like, I swear!

**-Wayne Manor, kitchen-**

In the cave, Diana had lost all concept of time, but here in the kitchen the early morning sun creeping through the windows reminded her. Bruce never seemed to stop; switching from Batman to Bruce Wayne on little to no rest.

Alfred, busying himself with breakfast, had managed to put out some of his infamous coffee.

"If I could be promised a cup of this every morning, I'd move in today!" Zatanna moans happily.

"Although I'd love to have you here, Ms. Zatanna, I'm afraid Master Bruce makes a terrible roommate."

Zatanna chuckles leaning against the older man's shoulder as he scrambled eggs. "You more than make up for Bruce's obnoxious behavior…"

"You know, in certain circles, women find me quite charming…" Bruce announces from the kitchen entry way, adjusting his cufflinks.

_**Even out of his uniform, he still moves with such a skillful grace… how could anyone confuse him for just a simple rich playboy?**_

Zatanna rolls her eyes dramatically. "I know the type of circles you're referring to, Bruce." Zatanna clears her throat before adding: "Jeez, Brucie you are like so smart! Any goil'd be lucky ta have you!"

Diana nearly chokes to death on her coffee as Alfred allows a dignified chuckle to escape his lips. "I'm afraid she has a point, sir."

Bruce obviously not accustomed to being teased changes topics. "So what's your read on Peter, Diana?"

After she collects herself she answers. "By whatever means he ended up here in Gotham he seems to be a genuine enough young man. There is no blatant deception in him, that I saw."

Zatanna nods. "There's some powerful forces at work in him, keeping his past blank. But that may be for the best, he's been given a second chance here, maybe the best we can do is help him make the most of it."

Bruce nods slightly, still wearing an annoyed scowl. Diana knew he didn't like a mystery that he couldn't solve and he would never let it go that simply.

Bruce closes his eyes sitting in front of the eggs and toast Alfred had served him.

Initially Diana thought that he was praying, but since he was absently shoveling food into his mouth, it became obvious that he was speaking to Martian Manhunter telepathically.

Whatever they were discussing took long enough for Bruce to finish eating. Diana truly believed that he was the only human being on earth who ate simple for sustenance. He seemed to take no delight in a good meal. Unless it was to keep up the pretense of Bruce Wayne.

By the time Bruce opened his eyes, his plate was clear and he was making his way to the garage entrance.

"That is so rude, Bruce." Zatanna pouts. Diana had to agree, since he had brought them here to help, it seemed impolite not to include them in the entire investigation. He likely had J'onn monitoring the whole exchange from the start.

_**Backup plan to the back up plan…**_

"The two of you can stay as long as you wish, I have an early meeting with LutherCorp today downtown…" Bruce slides into his suit jacket. Zatanna simply shrugs and turns to continue talking to Alfred.

"Bruce," Diana chases after him slightly, catching up to him as he stands in the door way.

"Are you going to chastise me about my etiquette as well, Princess?"

"It would serve no purpose," Diana smiles. She knew he wasn't rude, he simply didn't think about how his actions affected people all the time. Diana was learning this was a flaw common to all men; it just was magnified because of him being Batman. "If you are not busy later today, I'd like to take you to lunch."

Bruce wore a curious expression on his face and Diana was thankful they were out of earshot of Alfred and Zatanna. "Diana…"

"It's just lunch Bruce…" Diana interrupts frustrated. While it was true that she had feelings for the man, she didn't appreciate the fact that he saw her desire to spend time with him an invitation to her bedroom. "Kal and I have lunch all the time, sometimes even dinner." Diana retorts smiling which earns her a smirk from Bruce.

"Yes, but having a meal with **Bruce Wayne **will likely cause you to end up in every tabloid from here to Star City…"

"I can handle it if you can…" Diana challenges

Pulling out his phone Bruce checks his schedule. "I can meet you at Lazuli's at 2:00?" Bruce returns glancing back up from his phone.

Diana smiles happily realizing Bruce not only agreed, but picked her favorite restaurant in Gotham. "That sounds lovely…" Diana turns slightly to see the curious expression of Zatanna. Although she knew the sorceress couldn't hear them she still whispers warily: "I'll see you then…"

**-Bat Cave, gym-**

Peter had been pounding the reinforced heavy bag for the last hour trying to shake free of the images in his head.

He had no idea who the old woman was, or the red-headed girl, but he felt he should. He felt like he was supposed to know them and that they had been important to him. Yet whenever he conjured up their faces all he could feel was the shadow of emotion. It was like the way you remember the pain of an injury after enough time has past.

You knew some of the details, but you couldn't recall it exactly.

It was the brains way of protecting itself from pain.

But to Peter it was preventing him from knowing who he really was.

With a punch that might have throttled the man of steel himself Peter dislodges the heavy bag from it's moorings, planting it across the room.

"Nice left,"

Peter had been becoming better in every way, thanks to his training. He smelt her unique scent, felt the slight rush of air and heard her even breathing before she fully entered the room.

"Thanks, Koriand'r," Peter turns to face the beautiful Tamaranean, noticing she was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. He'd met her once before when visiting Dick in Bludhaven; and despite Dick's warning, he has still blown away by the sight of her. "Dick's not here right now, I think he's training on the Watchtower…" Peter walks over to the now useless heavy bag; ripped and lying on the floor.

_**It's a good thing Bruce is a billionaire…**_

"Actually Peter I am here for you." There's a twinge of anger in her voice, not that Peter blames her. Even though her and Nightwing were no longer dating, everyone, including himself always assumed she still harbored feelings for him. He guessed it was similar to the way that everyone still thought of Nightwing as Batman's sidekick, even though those days had long since passed.

"Sorry," Peter apologizes rubbing his head sheepishly. "I'm kinda batting a thousand today in the awkward mishaps department…" Peter admits, remembering his inadvertent molestation of a certain Amazon.

The puzzled look on Koriand'r's face remains even as she tells him why she's here.

**-Teen Titans Headquarters, Rose Wilson's room-**

"Come on, Rose, you have to be a little excited!"

The young woman known as Ravager regards her blonde team mate with typical disdain. Although she had learned to tolerate, even like most of the Teen Titans, she found she was still aggravated by their behavior at times. "I thought you were all hot in the crotch over Baby Batman- you know, Nightwing?"

Kara, cannot help but blush at the mention of Dick Grayson. Rose knew that after he visited the team a few weeks ago for a cross-training exercise, that Kara had been crushing on him hard.

_**Too bad the Batmen don't like their women, dumb, naïve and blonde, otherwise you'd have a shot girl…**_

"That is not very nice Rose!" M'gann announces from the doorway.

_**That's why I thought it, instead of saying it; so stay out of my head Red!**_

"She's right though…" Kara announces, oblivious to the telepathic exchange between the two. "Nightwing is just so-"

"Unavailable?" Cassie remarks joining the four in Rose's room.

"Sure guys, just come on in!" Rose mutters sarcastically. When she first became a member most of them treated her with a wary acceptance, for the most part keeping their distance. Now it seems everyone wanted to be her friend. Rose wasn't sure which she preferred.

"Maybe so…" Kara sighs. "But I wasn't even thinking about him before Rose, brought him up…" She then turns to Rose and sticks out her tongue. Rose responds by lifting up her eye patch to reveal her now healed, but still sightless eye. Kara turns slightly pale, but continues. "I was talking about the new guy; Spiderman. Kory's bringing him by today."

"So?" Rose stands from her bed stretching. "Doesn't this club have a limit on animal themed members? Robin, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, Hawk and Dove… at some point someone has to say; **enough is enough**!"

The four of them share a laugh at Rose's observation until Cyborg clears his throat from the doorway.

"No boys allowed, Victor!" Rose announces, hurling a pillow at Cyborg that he deftly catches.

"Suit up and head to the Media room, our guest will be here in thirty…" Cyborg doesn't wait for a response as he leaves the room.

"With all the work he's done on himself, you'd think he'd develop a better sense of humor…"

"Perhaps he requires an **upgrade**?" M'gann responds innocently causing another explosion of laughter. Although M'gann doesn't seem to get the joke.

**-Derelict Amusement Park, Upper East side, Gotham-**

"So what's the plan, Puddin'?"

"Harley…" Joker replies warmly caressing the young woman's face. Harley enjoys his touch until he begins squeezing her jaw uncomfortably. "As if a simpleton like you, could ever understand." Joker then shoves her away violently until she falls to the floor.

Joker, enjoying the fear he sees in her eyes, smiles.

She has always amused him.

She was like a child who enjoyed playing with matches, but was afraid of fire.

And her fear always got him excited.

"Come over here, Harls," Joker commands softly. Harley begins to get to her feet when Joker kicks her violently in her stomach, causing her to wretch slightly. "I never told you to stand!" Joker yells angrily.

Harley nods weakly and begins crawling over to where Joker has taken a seat, tears filling her eyes over the effort of trying to obey and catch her breath. By the time she finds Joker's knees, he has undone his zipper.

"Oh Harley," Joker whispers lovingly. "You know that it kills me to hurt you… but you have to do exactly what daddy says. At all times. Do you know why?" Joker asks stroking his small, limp member.

Harley's eyes are fixed on his hands as she nods. "Because you know best…"

"Yes," Joker responds pulling the back of her head towards his hardening length. "And when you're a good girl; don't I always give you a treat?" Joker asks, moistening her lips with his swollen head.

Licking her lips delightedly she smiles before busying herself with the only touch he would allow her to give him.

**XXXX**

Poison Ivy watched the scene from afar with disgust.

Although she, in moments of weakness, had found the touch of a man enjoyable; she could not fathom how Harley could ever be content with a lover like Joker.

He was violent, masochistic, cruel and selfish. Not to mention ridiculously ill-equipped to satisfy a woman.

After he'd finish with her, Harley would often finish herself off; moaning his name as if he were responsible for her release.

Ivy knew it wouldn't take long before they were done. In addition to being small, which is not always a terrible thing, Joker had the staying power of a mosquito.

Harley was only allowed to give oral sex or ride him reverse cowgirl; Joker didn't believe in foreplay or in reciprocity. Of course that didn't deter Harley from moaning like he was tearing her in two.

_**Ugh… when we've finished with this job Harley, I'm going to do the world a favor and kill him…**_

Seeing Joker coldly push Harley off of him to the floor and walk away, Ivy smiles.

_**And I'm going to take my sweet, sweet time with it…**_

_**A/N: I know this chapter ended on a darker note, but it will get even darker as the story progresses. Hence the "M" rating. The Joker is obviously more of the comic book version (Killing Joke level of cruelty) and Harley is more of the Arkham Asylum version as is Poison Ivy (Yes Green skin and all) The Teen Titans roster is the comic version from Teen Titans vol. 3 #50 (Robin, Blue Beetle, Supergirl, Wondergirl, Ravager, Miss Martian, and Kid Devil who for the purpose of the story will be out of commission) Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire serve as mentors. **_

_**Next Chapter: The Lunch date, the Xbox games and the Legion of unlikely co conspirators!**_


	6. Questionable Meet Cute

_**A/N Sorry for the long gap between updates! Had to wrap up the other two stories I was writing so I can focus more on this project. Enjoy and review!**_

**-High above Montana-**

"Is there something wrong with your uniform, Peter?"

Peter looks over at Starfire realizing he had been plucking non-existent lint off of his uniform. "No, uh… nothing's wrong with it…" In fact, as far as Peter was concerned it was perfect.

He wanted something simple, but dramatic so he had Alfred weave him a full charcoal gray costume with a blood red spider in the center. The legs of the small spider in the center of his chest spread out nearly to the back, outlined in white.

His mask was modeled similar to Batman's minus the ears of course, and with larger opaque eye lenses. The mask was cut like Batman's; showing the bottom portion of his nose and his mouth. He toyed with the idea of going with a full mask, but with all the running and jumping around he would be doing, it didn't seem practical.

He also decided against the cape. He thought it looked cool on Batman and Superman but he felt like only those guys could effectively pull off the look.

His gloves were also red, complete with the custom made gauntlets that he had modified.

Before they only fired webbing, but now through voice activated selector switch, he could change from webbing, to knock out darts, to tracers, to his impact webbing, to small explosives. He figured since there was no way he was wearing a utility belt, this was the next best thing.

"Why then have you been picking at it since we left the cave?" Starfire asks, placing the ship on auto pilot to look at him. Her large eyes viewing him with a hint of concern.

Starfire had an innocence that made her seem so much younger than she was. Peter figured that was likely why Dick had been interested in her to begin with. Everything in his life was full of deception, betrayal and intrigue, but Starfire was a pure as they came.

_**And the ridiculous body probably didn't hurt either…**_

Peter shifts in his seat to face her and smiles. "Guess I'm kinda nervous…" he admits straightening out his uniform again. "All these guys are veterans compared to me…" Peter had only been on the one trial run, he hadn't even gone on his first patrol yet. The Titans have gone up against some pretty tough opponents and came out on top.

"They have you in experience…" Starfire states leaning close to him. "But you have a warriors heart." she places a hand on his chest and smiles. Somehow through the heavy mesh of his clothes he could feel the warmth of her hand.

_**Baseball, Danny Devito naked, Ashy Larry…**_

"Thanks," Peter manages when his heart stops pounding. "I'm not sure I buy that, but thanks…"

Starfire makes a face that looks suspiciously like a pout before speaking. "The Batman would not have decided to train you if he did not see in you the same things we all see Peter… Whoever you were before, that man was a fighter just as you are."

Peter, unsure of what to say simply nods and turns back to the front view, taking in the flat lands beneath them. Starfire resumes control over the aircraft, banking slightly to stay on course.

_**But who was I before…?**_

He's asked that question a thousand times over the past few hours. Feeling the way he did now, he found it hard to believe that he hadn't used his abilities to help people before coming to Gotham. Yet he never found any photo's or video of anyone matching his abilities.

Did he only recently develop his skills; or had he simply kept them to himself?

The answer to this question was incredibly important to him.

One way or another he wanted to know.

"… just be careful of Rose…"

Peter realizes that while he'd been lost in thought Starfire had been still speaking. "Huh?"

Starfire glances in his direction again before repeating herself. "Ravager is a bit… aggressive… I was just warning you."

Before Peter can ask her to explain herself further, Robin comes over the com.

"E.T.A.?"

Peter smirks unable to resist taking a shot at his comrade. "We'll get there; **when we get there**!"

**-Lazuli's Restaurant-**

Bruce walks into the restaurant at 1:50pm exhilarated.

During his meeting with LutherCorp he got be Bruce Wayne; not the aloof, fool he purported to be in the tabloids, but as he truly was. The look on Lex Luthor's face as he countered his every strategy made him feel a high he usually only got during his night time activities.

In this situation he didn't need to play the role to keep up appearances, a role that although had served him well, was difficult to swallow at times. Luthor left the negotiating room muttering angry curses at his advisors, which made Bruce's good friend and confidant Lucius Fox chuckle.

"Careful Bruce," Lucius warned. "You might get to enjoying all this corporate maneuvering and give up your more **clandestine** hobbies…"

Luthor came under the guise of offering state of the art Luthor tech to Gotham's finest, but of course all of it was powered by Kryptonite. Bruce bought the company that was weaponizing the meteor rock for Luthor a week ago, having them reconfigure their plants to developing better body armor. He had most of the Kryptonite reserves destroyed, keeping a small amount for himself. Effectively leaving Luthor with no Kryptonite payload to seed Gotham with.

Of course Luthor had no idea that he flew from Metropolis for nothing. For a man like Lex nothing could be worse than being outsmarted.

"Make sure we finalize those papers with Emergent Tech before close of business, Lucius; we can't afford to have Lex try something like this again…" Bruce stood and checked his watch, if he hurried he could be early for his lunch with Diana.

"Already done, Bruce," Lucius chastises playfully. "Now don't keep the Princess waiting…"

He didn't intend to, he wanted to be seated before Diana made her entrance, he **needed** to make sure he controlled the situation from start to finish.

Flashing a billion dollar smile at the red-headed hostess, he declared his reservation. His smile faded a bit when he learned Diana had beat him here.

**XXXX**

_**Okay Diana… this is just lunch with your co-worker… your incredibly handsome co-worker who is… walking over to you now…**_

Diana took in Bruce's confident stride with a smile. Fresh from his meeting with Lex he was clad in a dark gray pinstripe suit with a blue and gray striped tie. The tie made his eyes flash and the suit was cut to show off his powerful frame.

Diana was suddenly under the belief that this simple lunch date had been a mistake.

**XXXX**

Bruce was annoyed that she had beaten him here, but that annoyance melted away as he saw her sitting at their table. She was toying with her hair nervously, a habit most unfitting for a woman of regal upbringing, but it humanized her in a way that made her even more beautiful. She was dressed casually in dark blue slacks and a red blouse and her hair was down; flowing over her shoulders.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Bruce walked over to the table.

Diana stood and gave him a friendly hug, forcing Bruce to take in her light scent; cinnamon and honey. It was such a nice change of pace from the women he usually dated who seemed to bathe in Tommy Girl or Angel.

_**Or women like Selina who bathe themselves in sweat and leather…**_

"So how was your meeting…?" Diana asks as Bruce helps her with her chair.

"I think a certain farm boy will be happy with the outcome," Bruce answers as he takes his seat across from Diana. "But it's only a delay of the inevitable, Luthor is nothing if not persistent…"

"And we'll stop him." Diana declares slamming her fist on the table, startling the small waiter who stood beside her. Her features instantly softened as she placed her drink order, putting the man at ease.

"That man, " Bruce remarked with a smirk. "Is going to have so very interesting dreams tonight…"

**XXXX**

Bruce, it seems, was more than simply a warrior of the night; he could carry on a conversation in a wide variety of subjects. Things were forced at the beginning, with Diana trying to find a way to draw him out while Bruce was trying to as elusive as possible.

Eventually the Dark Knight let down his guard and was every bit as charming and charismatic as the papers made him out to be. Bruce was finishing up an amusing story about a certain congressman and air headed socialite that had Diana gasping for air.

"So this is what it's like to talk to the **real** Bruce Wayne…" Diana manages amidst chuckles.

Bruce raises an eyebrow and lowers his glass. "What do you mean?"

Diana wipes her mouth with her napkin, clearing her throat. "Nothing." She hadn't meant that to slip, but apparently she had relaxed her guard as well.

"No, I don't think so…" Bruce counters his eyes narrowing slightly. Diana knew if there was one thing Bruce hated it was being left in the dark.

About anything.

With a sigh, Diana looks up to the ceiling trying to think of a way to explain. "When you're… **on duty**… it's all business with you. No playful banter like Wally, not even in cleverly timed quip or two…"

Bruce nods, relaxing a bit. "The job is dangerous enough as it is; there's no need to add to it with… **distractions**…"

"I can see how you would feel that way," Diana agrees continuing. "During your public time… you take nothing seriously, preferring to appear less than what you are. And I understand the reason for that as well… but now…" Diana smiles, daring to take Bruce's hand in her own. "Now you're not playing the role of bored playboy, nor are you an avenging knight, this I think is the real you…"

Diana studies his reaction closely, hoping for an indication that she is correct. His eyes focus on her own, forcing her to look away.

"Diana…" He takes a cautious look around, making sure no one is listening to their conversation. Satisfied he continues. "Bruce Wayne is the mask I wear to hide who **I really am**… my true identity is the man you first met in the mountains. The man with the cape and the cowl…"

Diana shakes her head firmly, looking back into Bruce's eyes. "No. I think not. Bruce Wayne is a mask you wear to keep people from **knowing** the real you. Batman is the mask that keeps people from **wanting** to know the real you. But somewhere between the cave and the board room there exists **the truth**…"

**-Titans HQ-**

Some of Peter's anxiety dies down when he sees Robin waiting for them as they landed.

_**Hey if they let Drake in their club, they'll let anyone join… wait is that a good thing… or…?**_

"Welcome, Spiderman we are pleased you made it." Cyborg announces shaking his hand.

"And in one piece too…" Beast boy announces with a laugh.

Starfire walks up to Beast Boy annoyed. "I have never crashed the jet before; why would you say such a thing?"

The two begin a mild argument about some incident in Guatemala, but Peter's attention is diverted.

_**Something's… not right…**_

"Haaaa!"

Peter leaps backward just in time to avoid being slashed in two by a sword.

"Who the-!" leaning back he avoids another slash and a follow up kick.

_**Whoever this girl is… she's good… almost as good as Robin.**_

Tired of playing the avoidance game, he counters with a left hook, that the girl ducks. She attempts to sweep his leg, but Peter leaps backward and plants a kick into the girls midsection, creating space.

_**Okay… so obviously this is not a major threat since none of the others have joined in… so what do I know? Excellent hand to hand fighter, enhanced reflexes, slightly above average strength and a great set of legs…**_

That thought allows a smirk to come to his lips which his combatant takes as disrespect.

"Laugh this off, Spider-boy!"

She hurls a smoke grenade at his feet, catching him in a cloud of smoke.

_**This should be fun…**_

Standing amidst the smoke, he avoids every attack she launches at him. He can see her frustration as she is unable to lay a single finger on him. He can't resist teasing her.

"Well you've certainly got some moves chica…" Peter laughs, disarming her of her sword. "Why don't we call this one a draw, before someone gets hurt?"

_**This must be the Rose girl Starfire warned me about…**_

In answer she launches a kick to the side of his head. He catches her foot mid-air, testing her flexibility.

"Someone scared I might embarrass him in front of the boys?" She asks not seeming the least bit uncomfortable at being held this way.

Tossing her backwards, watching her recover into a fighting stance he answers: "Petrified."

She snarls and charges him full speed causing him to take a few steps backward. After grabbing her right wrist she uses her left to swing which he also grabs. Using his strength he pushes her against the stone statue of the original team of Titans and holds her squirming form in place.

"Enough gorgeous, I think you've made your point."

Peter's face is inches away from Rose as she breathes heavily obviously winded from her exertions. Her heaving chest not far from his line of sight.

"Guess the boy blunder was right; you are impossible to hit." She admits with a smile.

Beneath his mask, Peter raises an amused eyebrow and releases his grip on her wrists, allowing her to stand on her on two feet again. "And you just had to see for yourself…?

Rose laughs before removing her mask and releasing her silver hair. "What can I say? Some things a girl just has to find out on her own…" Peter doesn't even flinch as Rose brings her mouth closer to his.

_**What is she-**_

"Ahem…"

Both turn to face Cyborg, looking at Ravage annoyed, flanked by Robin and Beast Boy.

"I don't suppose you want to meet the **rest **of the team, Spiderman?" Robin quips.

Peter nods and turns to walk towards them when Ravage leans over his shoulder and whispers in his ear. "Any time you want to continue our conversation…"

When Peter turns she has already sprinted away.

**-Inside, Titans HQ, Rose's room-**

Rose steps from her shower, sensing someone in her room even before she removes the towel from her face.

"What do ya want, Goldie?"

Most people would be terrified at seeing the statuesque Tamaranean glaring at them angrily, but Rose Wilson isn't most people.

"What did you think you were doing back there?" Starfire accuses pointing a finger in Rose's face.

She shrugs before unashamedly dropping her towel, turning to fish for some clothes. "Cyborg wanted his combat ability tested; consider it tested…"

"You could have seriously hurt him!" Starfire whirls the young girl around so that the two are facing another.

Removing her hands deliberately before sliding on a pair of panties, Rose waits until she has clasped her bra to respond. "According to Robin's report that is unlikely…" Rose looks at the slightly flushed face of Starfire before continuing. "Are you certain this is just about my possibly hurting him… or is there something else at play here?"

Starfire sneers at the younger girl. "Not everyone is as crass as you Rose; so you will have to explain what you mean."

"I think you know…" Rose smiles, slipping into a pair of jeans. "But okay, cards on the table; I think you've got the hots for the Spider…" Rose notes Kory's surprised expression and continues. "It makes sense though; kid's been trained by Batman, has a mysterious past and a rocking body… all fitting with your M.O. taking into consideration your… history…" Rose had to admit when she pressed against him earlier, she could feel every inch of him was hard.

_**Well not every inch… at least not that I was able to tell…**_

"You are mistaken…" Starfire announces, without much conviction.

"Oh Starfire…" Rose laughs putting on a shirt. "You definitely would suck at poker…"

**-Inside, Titans HQ, Game room-**

"And this is our game room… and-" Gar looks at Peter and notices that he doesn't seem to be paying attention and follows his eyes to a giggling Supergirl and Miss Martian. "Ah… I can see you've found something more entertaining than a seventy-two inch flat screen…"

Peter turns to Gar and smiles. "I'm just wondering how any of you guys manage to get anything done around here with all…" Rose and Starfire walk in the room and both wave at Peter. "This…"

Gar chuckles good-naturedly recognizing a kindred spirit. "You'll get used to it…" He assures Peter throwing his arm around him. "The first time I got to visit the Watchtower, my jaw hit the floor so hard it nearly broke when I first saw Wonder Woman in person! I didn't hear the end of it for months!"

Peter joins Gar in a knowing laugh. "Try accidentally feeling her up in front of Batman and then you can talk to me about embarrassing situations…"

"Dude…" Gar announces with awe in his voice. "You have officially become my hero…"

"So this is what Spiderman looks like without the mask… Not terrible…"

Peter turns to meet the one-eyed girl with a smirk. "I guess… thanks?"

"No problem," Rose then looks back to make sure Starfire is watching before kissing him on the lips lightly. "And welcome to the team..." Without another word she walks away leaving a surprised Peter and Garfield to watch.

"Okay I take it back… you are not my hero, you are a God!" Gar exclaims clapping Peter on the back.

**-Watchtower-**

After an enjoyable lunch, Batman suggested an activity that they both would enjoy just as much.

The two of them had been locked in a struggle for the better part of an hour.

Taut muscles are pushed beyond the limits of endurance as their bo staffs collide again and again. Each time one gets a momentary advantage it disappears just as quickly before either can press on. The room is filled with grunts, as wood threatens to splinter with each strike until…

"Unh!" Batman takes advantage of a misstep by Wonder Woman to bring her unceremoniously to the ground.

"Do you yield, Princess?" Batman asks, amusement in his voice.

"Yes," She hisses, angry to find herself pinned to the floor by the business end of Batman's staff. The slight smirk she sees behind his cowl doesn't lesson the sting of defeat.

"Good," Batman removes the staff from Wonder Woman's neck shedding his cowl. "I think if that session went on another minute my heart would have exploded."

Wonder Woman scoffs at this: "You don't have to patronize me Bruce; I know you're barely winded. I can take my loss like a big girl." She easily catches the towel he tosses her way. "You remain the only one to take me in solo combat…"

"Considering how much of your strength you were holding back, I wouldn't take my victory too hard." Batman enjoys training with Diana; she pushes him as hard Dick used to when they would spar. He knows that for him, keeping himself sharp is the difference between life and death.

"Perhaps," Diana admits "But knowing you, you'd find a way to win. Have you any… special plans for this evening?" Bruce notes the slight nervousness in her tone.

He had enjoyed their lunch together. Diana proved more insightful than he would have originally thought. She correctly deduced that he had been more of himself during their meal. Not only that, but she also realized that he used his playboy and dark knight personas to keep people out.

It made him wonder what else she may have figured out.

"There's a certain comfort in routine for me, especially considering the last few months." Bruce smiles grimly.

The invasion had been particularly hard on Bruce, because for all his plans and insight, he'd failed to keep earth from becoming the target of an invading force. It was the second failure of such scope and it was equally as costing as the first.

"I can imagine," she agrees solemnly. "Still, it's my belief that after going through… what we've gone through… you could benefit with a break from the norm." Diana winces, likely anticipating Bruce going into a diatribe about duty and the mission.

Although it was something that was always on the forefront of his mind, today had taught him that taking a break could be beneficial to his work.

"Dick can certainly handle things in Gotham for a night; you yourself are always saying how skilled a hero he is."

Bruce lights up at the mention at his first protégé; he and Tim had always done a commendable job whenever he was away. Adding Peter to that mix along with Barbara meant Gotham had four suitable protectors should the need ever arise. "Indeed; Nightwing has become very formidable over the years…"

**XXXX**

Looking at Bruce's face she again was struck by how handsome he was.

Of course, most of the women of the League drooled constantly over Kal, the superhumanly powerful alien. While they saw Batman as too cold and distant to be a suitable romantic interest.

But Bruce, he was a man after her own heart; exceptionally skilled in battle, determined, intelligent, passionate about justice. As she got to know him she realized something so many others in his life missed; he cared. When came down to it, Batman exists because he wants no one to suffer the pain he has. The very definition of compassion.

_**Everything my mother said men could never be…**_

"Diana…?" Bruce's concerned voice jars her from her thoughts. She looks at him noticing he has removed his cape and belt. "I said I was going to hit the showers before heading back… are you all right?"

"Yes…" frowning that her thoughts had caused her to miss her window. It was clear that he had every intention of returning to Gotham tonight. She had hoped to press her advantage and convince him to join her for a walk in the Arboretum. There she would confront him about the feelings between them.

"Good," he replies turning to head to the locker room. "You are right though, I think maybe some time soon I'll take a little break…"

Diana knows better to believe he is serious. She sighs before heading in the opposite direction to the women's showers.

_**You blew it Diana! He was right there on the edge of-**_

"Oomph!" Diana absorbed in her own thoughts knocks Black Canary to the floor.

"Dinah!" Diana exclaims, realizing what she's done, reaches to help her team mate up. "I'm so sorry!"

"Unh… no problem," Dinah says as she returns shakily to her feet. "I know you didn't mean to plow through me like Ray Lewis." Dinah looks up to see the distracted look on Wonder Woman's face, "Are you okay? I've never known you to be clumsy…"

"I just finished a sparring session with Batman; I guess it took a lot more out of me than I thought…" Diana offers running a hand through her hair. She can't believe she was so preoccupied, perhaps Batman did have a point regarding dating within the team.

"Unh huh," Dinah responds with a saucy smile, "Those steely blue eyes are enough to send any woman into distraction. Even immortal ones…"

Before she can stop herself, Diana face turns a deep red and she stammers when she says "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Wow…" Dinah smiles, looking at Diana's flustered face, "I was only joking around, but you really are hot for the him! Not that I can blame you. Perfect body, playboy looks, thick fingers… I love a man with strong hands…"

Diana flirted with the idea of lying to her; it was really none of her business who she had feelings for, but at her core Diana abhorred lying. And this was actually the first time she had been asked specifically about her feelings for Batman. Teammates have hinted at it, even joked about it, but none of them ever came right out and asked.

"My feelings do not matter," Diana answers sadly. "He will never return them. Even if he feels the same he will deny us any chance to see what may come of it."

"Why? He clearly cares about you…" Dinah then nods as the realization hits her. "Of course. Batman is all about the mission. **Nothing** can compromise the mission…"

The two women share a moment of silent understanding, allowing Diana to wonder if it would better for her to simply move on.

**-Main transport pad-**

Bruce was never really one for self-examination, with the exception being the times Alfred had done as less than stellar job at patching him up. Yet here he was; seriously considering taking the night off. Unless there was some pressing charity function that Bruce Wayne needed to be seen at he spent all of his nights in defense of Gotham.

Even his so-called vacations had always been a cover for some pending investigation, some lead he was following up on. Until today he never questioned his commitment; a personal life was something for other people, not for him.

_**Would it really be so terrible to see what could develop between you and Diana…?**_

He shook his head, trying to escape the stray thought that intruded his usual calm, as he programmed the Watchtower transporters.

"Bruce, I didn't know you were up here…"

Batman simply nodded at the Kryptonian, as he finished the sequence that would take him back to his Cave. Before he can initiate the transport, Superman's hand touches his shoulder.

"A moment if you would, Bruce…"

Batman turns to face him. "What's on your mind Clark?" He asks in a gruff tone.

Superman crosses his arms as if to show he is not intimidated, before answering. "I heard that you took Zatanna and Wonder Woman planet side for a mission…"

"In a sense, yes." Bruce admits. "But nothing the League need to be concerned about…"

"I also heard that you were looking for Dr. Fate or Midnite and had to settle for Zatanna… for someone that hates magic you seem to be seeking out the heavy hitters in the game…"

There were times that Bruce forgot that despite his upbringing on a Kansas farm, Clark was far from an idiot. As a reporter, he was very adept at piecing things together. "Are you planning on arriving at a question at some point, Clark?"

"What's going on in Gotham, Bruce?"

"Nothing." Bruce answers quickly returning to the platform. "At least, nothing **yet**… if that changes…"

"You'll let us know…?"

"If that changes; **I'll **take care of it."

_**A/N: Next up: Huntress vs. Nightwing, Spiderman vs. Poison Ivy and Joker has some fun at the expense of Bruce Wayne!**_


	7. Jokes on you

**-Bludhaven, rooftops-**

_**Whoever this chick is; she's good…**_

Nightwing has been chasing the purple clad woman over twelve city blocks now and he still hasn't been able to close the distance.

It started out as a normal patrol until an explosion rocked the lower west side.

When he went to investigate he found firemen arriving on the scene and his current target fleeing with a small package. It was the fourth explosion at a Vicente property in the last two weeks.

Someone was hitting the reputed crime boss hard and this was the first time he'd actually got to the scene in time to catch a viable suspect. He didn't mind someone bloodying Armando Vicente's nose one bit, but these explosions caused damage to more than just Vicente's bottom line.

The first three left several innocents with injuries; ranging from mild to serious. No one had died yet, but Dick wasn't willing to allow these poorly planned explosions to continue. In all his time as a crime fighter he developed a real dislike for vigilante's taking up the fight without proper training. More often than not it led to innocents getting caught in the crossfire.

_**Enough is enough…**_

Stopping on a nearby rooftop he fires a bolo at the woman's legs. She lands somewhat awkwardly, twisting mid air to avoid landing on whatever she had taken. A few seconds later, Dick lands in front of her just as she untangles her legs from the bolo.

"Listen, I just want to-" He doesn't get to finish as he narrowly avoids a kick that would have likely taken his head off. She follows up with a straight jab that finds its way into his jaw, making him stagger backwards.

_**It's been a while since someone's been able to tag me like that…**_

Tasting the blood now flowing from his lip, he smiles angrily. "If that's how you want to play it…" Faking a haymaker, Nightwing drives a knee into her solar plexus, forcing the air from her in a huff. When she drops to her knees he follows with an elbow to her shoulder causing her to yelp in pain. The strike renders her left arm useless. He knew from experience that he couldn't afford to underestimate her; the quicker he could end this the better.

She rolls backwards away from his follow up punch, gingerly cradling her left arm.

She bounces to her feet and again tries the jab, but this time he's ready for it and ducks it to deliver one of his own. The woman manages to lean just out of the reach of it while trying to kick Nightwing where it will do the most damage.

Driving his palms down he stops the kick short of its mark pushing her away. The separation allows her to pull out an extendable bo staff, to which Nightwing replies by pulling out his escrima sticks.

The two clash with each countering the others moves, but Nightwing holds the advantage because she is still fighting using only one arm. Slipping under the wide swipe of her staff he manages to tag her with his electrified escrima stick, dazing her. Seeking to put an end to the confrontation he delivers a nerve pinch to her neck and she drops to the floor of the roof.

**-Gotham City, Rooftops-**

With Robin on a Titans mission and Batman attending a charity event as his alter ego; Peter swings through the air on his first solo patrol.

He intervened in a robbery, broke up a couple assaults and calmed a domestic dispute; all in all a good night for him. Since leaving the Titans HQ a week ago, Peter has felt a pull towards; a yearning that he didn't try to understand.

He didn't believe in fate or destiny, but he did believe that there were things that **drove** people.

And things that people were **driven** to do.

His spider-sense screams out a warning so loud that he lets go of his webline. Which probably saves his life since a small missile streaks past him and explodes a few feet above his head. He doesn't fear the freefall, he simply goes limp, the way Batman trained him.

Twisting midair he follows the contrail of the missile back to its source, to find a blonde woman clad in some type of Harlequin costume, holding a grenade launcher on her shoulder. She's standing in the Wayne Pharmaceuticals parking lot and if she hadn't attacked him, he might have swung right past her. No alarm had gone off as far as he knew. Getting past Wayne security was an impressive feat, showing more intelligence than he would've thought she had.

"Harley, what are you doing?" A green skinned woman emerges from the back door of the building to join her.

"Sorry Red, I thought it was the B-man…" Harley responds shrugging her shoulders. "How often do ya get a free shot at the grand prize?"

Spiderman drops in front of Poison Ivy and Harlequinn. He mentally goes over everything he knows about the two from Batman's files. Both women are ridiculously unstable and unpredictable. Slung over Harlequinn's shoulder is a bag likely filled with whatever chemicals they were out to steal tonight.

_**Considering what I'm dealing with here… best to take out chuckles first…**_

Launching himself at Harley he knocks her to the ground, using his strength to smash the launcher with one hand, while hitting Harley out with the other. He's learned how to apply the proper amount of strength to incapacitate her quickly.

Spiderman then stands to face Poison Ivy. With the tactics she favored he knew keeping his distance was essential. He would have to wait for the right opportunity to present itself. Plus he'd like to find out just what they were there for to begin with.

"Well you must be **new**…" Ivy jokes, backing away slowly behind a parked car, not giving him a clear target. "Robin usually makes jokes while pretending not to look at my breasts and Batman normally threatens… while pretending not to look at my breasts…"

Peter smiles briefly before speaking. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm out of clever quips right now. I don't need to threaten you because you already know what's coming and as far as your breasts…" Spiderman shrugs. "I've seen better; and they weren't attached to a deranged psychopath with a pigmentation problem…"

Ivy, obviously angered, tosses a pair of pods to the ground in front of Spiderman. He easily back flips out of range as a pair of vines to sprout from them.

Part of Peter is fascinated; favoring biochemistry as he does.

"Completely spontaneous growth of organic material that comes complete with a rudimentary intelligence… amazing…" Peter mutters as he bounds out of reach of the flailing plant limbs. "A shame to destroy something so creative…" With the word "Sting" he aims his gauntlets at the two plants and fires.

Ivy screams her displeasure as both plants whither and die. She falls to her knees to scoop up the disintegrating remains.

"Care to tell me what brings you and blondie out on a night like tonight?"

Ivy doesn't seem to hear him as she cradles the ash of her plants. "How…?"

"Little chemical compound I came up with; renders most people unconscious, but it really wrecks havoc with- whoops!" Spiderman manages to leap in the air to avoid the novelty boxing glove that would have struck him in the back of the skull.

Again twisting mid air with unparalleled agility he takes aim at a suddenly conscious Harley Quinn.

"Sticky." From his gauntlet he fires his impact webbing strikes Quinn's weapon. It expands and Quinn barely tosses the weapon away before it spreads over her.

… _**how did she recover so fast…?**_

"Gross!" Harley yells helping Ivy to her feet as Spiderman lands. "I think this guy just blew his load at me, Red!"

Ivy reaches into Quinn's bag and tosses another array of pods in his direction.

He manages to avoid most of them, but one hits his neck and begins expanding. He reaches up to remove it, but in the time that takes, Ivy is in his face, blowing a powder at him.

_**She's not supposed to be that fast-!**_

He stops breathing immediately and jumps on top of a parked car in order to remove the rest of the quickly spreading vines.

_**Okay so you didn't breathe in whatever Plant girl blew at you, but you don't know if it can be absorbed through the skin… maybe a full mask wasn't such a bad idea after all…**_

He can feel a hazy fog descending over him as his mouth goes dry. Stumbling he tries to hit them with his impact webbing, but his aim is completely erratic.

"Look at 'em, Red!" Harley laughs clapping her hands. 'He's like a punch drunk boxer!" Harley moves to deliver the coup de grace, but Ivy grabs her arm.

"Trust me Harley…" Ivy pulls the girl away. "When that dust takes full effect, you do not want to be anywhere near him… besides… we have a timetable to keep to." Through blurred vision he sees the two of them climb into a black sedan to make their escape.

"…Tick…" Peter manages and fires a tracer at the bumper of the speeding car and hits his target.

_**Well at least I managed to-**_

Spiderman collapses in a heap in the middle of the parking lot.

**-Bludhaven, rooftop-**

Even though she is very quiet, Nightwing hears his prey come to.

"Whoever you are you are you can quit pretending you're still unconscious, I can tell you're awake…" The woman turns her head to the last place she remembers discarding her package, to find it gone. "Don't worry… she's safe… but I'd like to know what you're doing fleeing an explosion with nine month old baby en tow…"

The woman strains against her bonds, testing the strength of them. Nightwing was taking no chances and secured her to railing running along the roof tightly. She barely had enough room to breathe let alone get free.

"You know why…" The woman speaks still straining against her bonds. "So; what now big man? "Vicente got you on his payroll too, right? Untie me and we can settle this. Unless you're too afraid to give me the chance to die on my feet.."

"If I didn't know any better," Dick walks over to the tied up woman. "I'd think you were trying to bait me into doing something stupid…" He can see a bit of the defiant smirk fade from the woman's lips. "Besides even if I let you go, you have no idea where the baby you went through all that trouble to liberate is…"

Her jaw clenches slightly at that and Dick hopes that means she's ready to talk. "Who are you,?"

**-Wayne Foundation Charity Banquet-**

"I'm **Lois Lane**, Mr. Wayne… we met at the gubernatorial dinner last November…"

Bruce can tell she's disappointed that he doesn't seem to remember her, but when posing as Bruce Wayne the playboy, the more idiotic he can appear the better. "Yes, of course… you were with the big fella… looks like he was raised on a farm…"

Lois flushes, obviously upset over the reference. "His name is Clark Kent, Mr. Wayne. And while he may not have your… advantages he's twice the man you'll every be…" Lois turns to storm away only to be stopped by Bruce's grip.

"Now, now Ms. Lane…" Bruce spins her deftly towards him. "I meant no offense to your boyfriend…" Bruce can see Clark frowning from across the room, his super-hearing likely picking up every word. Bruce made it clear that he did not like his type in his city, whether they were there in their civilian identities or not. Things tended to always go south when they were around.

Lois opens her mouth, likely to put Bruce in his place, when the front doors are blown inward right on cue.

The explosion throws everyone at the party to the floor except Bruce and Clark and the two men lock eyes.

_**Lois? **_Clark mouths in Bruce direction.

_**Fine. Don't. Do. Anything. **_Bruce returns enunciating each word perfectly. Despite the situation; this was not a job for Superman. Bruce carries the stunned Lois to another table, placing her carefully on the floor.

"I can have this wrapped up in a second, Bruce…" Clark offers as the smoke begins to clear.

"Not until I know why and who…" Bruce cautions. "And even then, **don't**."

"Ladies and germs please hold your applause until my men have **finished** robbing you!"

"Joker…" Bruce groans. If this had been a group of thugs he could have taken them out quietly and quickly. But with Joker, even his robberies had an odd twist to them. Bruce watches warily as four armed henchmen make their way through the crowd looking to fill the large garbage bags they brought with them.

"With this being a **charitable** event, I figured that you would want to give to the most **worthy **cause of all; "the giving Joker everything you have so he doesn't stomp you in the face" … uh **foundation**. I've got to get my people on coming up with a better name… Acronyms seem to be all the rage nowadays… so how about the GJEYHSHDSYITFF? Trying saying that three times fast…" Joker pauses in his rant to step on the hand of a portly off duty police officer reaching for his back up piece. "Or maybe just once, for you fat boy…"

After Joker delivers a bone crushing kick to the mans' face, people begin removing their jewelry, handing over their prized possessions without much resistance.

He glanced around the room and noticed that this had to be the smoothest robbery he'd ever witnessed. No screaming, no more heroics, everyone seemed eerily calm.

"Bruce…?" Clark's voice shook him from his thoughts and he looked down to realize he was removing his watch. He hadn't thought about doing it, not before or now and yet he also couldn't stop himself.

"Some sort of mind control…" Bruce murmurs through clenched teeth. He was angry that not only was he being manipulated, but the Boy Scout next to him seemed immune.

"Do I have the green light now?" Clark asks with the slightest hint of amusement in his voice.

Bruce watched as Joker made his way steadily in their direction and wrestled with his dilemma.

The other heroes always thought it was his ego that kept him from asking for meta-human help in Gotham. And while that may be partially true, for him there was a larger issue; escalation.

When criminals have to start worrying about bullet proof demi-gods who can leap tall buildings in a single bound; they start upgrading their tactics.

When cops started wearing vests; criminals started using armor piercing rounds. So when heroes start tossing guys through walls, who knows what the next evolution of criminal action will be? As long as the playing field remained somewhat level, Gotham never had to worry about the skyscraper destroying threats that Metropolis did.

"Okay…" Bruce relents after finding no other possible solution. "But you do it **my way**…"

**-Wayne Pharmaceuticals parking lot-**

Barbara arrived on the scene to see Spiderman getting to his feet shakily. The silent alarm that went off wasn't triggered by the break in, but by the parking lot security cameras. The system was programmed to log an alert if certain individuals every showed up in their view. Harlequinn and Ivy certainly fit the bill.

A quick scan of the area told her what happened; Spiderman encountered the two, attempted to subdue them and Ivy likely engineered their escape. Her main priority now was finding out what Ivy had dosed him with.

_**Tim is gonna have a field day with this…**_

"Spi-" She can't see his eyes through the lenses of his mask, but something in his posture seems off. She attempts to ready herself, but his speed is uncanny. In between breaths, he has her pinned to the wall.

She attempts to extricate herself from his grip and grabs his wrists.

_**It's… it's like grabbing iron bars…**_

Everyone in the bat family was extremely fit, but Peter was something else all together. He was like Bruce; every inch of him solid.

"Peter, snap out of it…" She whispers harshly risking using his real name. She wishes she could see his face, see if there was any semblance of himself in his brown eyes.

"Red…" Peter responds, holding her arms firmly at her sides. She doesn't have time to wonder what he's talking about because she soon has his lips pressed firmly to hers.

She struggles under his grip, but he denies her any leverage, forcing her mouth open with his tongue. An involuntary sighs escapes her lips and his grip loosens. Not enough for her to escape, but enough for the circulation to return to her arms.

Under normal circumstances she might have enjoyed this. After all her life left no time for romance. Juggling two very full identities meant that the only time she wasn't playing Barbara Gordon or Batgirl was when she slept.

So it had been a while since she'd last kissed any one, and that had been a **big mistake**.

Sensing no further resistance from the red head Spiderman's hands eagerly slide up her arm to grope one of her breasts through the Kevlar blend of her uniform. Instead of using the opportunity to free herself or at least hit him with the antidote that waited in her utility belt, she moves her free hand to his chest in encouragement.

_**What are you doing…? Of course.. The toxin… probably on his skin… his lips… his soft warm lips… focus girl! Batman taught you better than this!**_

As the toxin makes its way through her system she can feel her body heat up. Soon she'll be consumed with the same mindless lust that has overtaken Peter. Somehow that prospect doesn't seem so bad. She can feel herself respond to his touch; despite the situation there's a gentleness to his caress. Which in a way reminds her of that night years ago.

_**On the rooftop of Penguin's club…**_

She couldn't undo that mistake, but she could stop this one. With tremendous effort she brings the aerosol spray to Peter's face and hits him with a mist. He takes a step backward and she hits herself with the same.

Both young heroes slump against the wall, regaining their senses.

**-Wayne Foundation Charity Banquet-**

"Joker sez, stand on one leg!"

Bruce groans as his leg rises off the floor. Since Clark had slipped out the back, Joker had fleeced the entire crowd and was now making everyone in the room play an uninspired game of "Joker Sez" Bruce had been under the influence of mind control before, but this was different.

He was in full control of his faculties; he knew exactly what he was doing, he simply could not resist doing it. As much as his mind railed against the manipulation, he followed everyone of Joker's commands smoothly.

_**I've never seen a man with super speed move so slowly…**_

"Joker sez, touch your butt with your right-"

"That's quite enough Joker…"

_**Clark I do not sound like that…**_

Joker's henchmen begin anxiously scanning the room, trying to find out where the voice is coming from. From the corner of his eye, Bruce picks up the blur of motion that takes out a thug.

As if Clark suddenly remembers he's playing a role, a Batarang flies through the air knocking a thug to the floor. The remaining three henchmen fire in the direction the weapon came from as Clark, dressed as Batman, drops silently behind two of them. Bruce smiles at the sound of the familiar crunch that comes with skulls colliding together.

"Quit hiding Bat-Breath!" Joker screams still firing into the ceiling, unaware that only he and one other henchman remain. "If you wanted to join my game, all you had to do was say please!" Joker sprays another hail of gunfire in the air, while Batman takes out the last thug and maneuvers behind Joker.

"Okay then…" Batman growls at Joker, forcing the man to turn. "Please." And with a hard right to the jaw, the fight is over.

Batman stands over Joker and turns to the crowd who are all still balancing on one leg. "Batman says; the game is over."

**XXXX**

Batman stands in an alley next to the hall scratching at his mask.

"Batman says; the game is over"? Seriously Kent…" Clark looks around surprised that even in civilian attire, Bruce can still sneak up on him.

"I thought it struck the right tone…" Clark defends, watching Gotham Police officers shackle the unconscious men.

"You would…" Bruce watches the clean-up with an anxious frown. "My contacts in Arkham tell me, Joker is in his cell right now, having cold Salisbury steak…" Clark turns to Bruce with a raised eyebrow.

"Then who did I just knock out?"

_**A/N: Batman interrogates a Joker!**_


	8. That old familiar feeling

_**A/N: Sorry this update took so long! That's what I get for working on multiple stories at the same time! I'll try to update more often as the story is getting set to pick up! Any reviews, suggestions or criticisms are welcome!**_

**-Wayne Pharmaceuticals, parking lot-**

Peter doesn't remember anything about his life before coming to Gotham City.

No fragmented images, no sense of connection to anything. Other than the moments he's experienced since waking up in that park, he's a blank slate.

His start was rough; living on the streets of Gotham City, scrounging for every scrap of food he could get his hands on. Worrying about where to sleep and how to avoid the various gangs that roamed the streets at night left him ample time for self-pity. Still something inside him wouldn't let him sink to far into despair. He had an overwhelming sense that things could and would get better.

And they did once he was taken in by Batman; a man that spent his nights terrorizing the criminal element of Gotham. The same man, who Peter later discovered is really billionaire Bruce Wayne.

Peter was able to convince the Batman to train him. The same way he trained both former Robins' and Batgirl and although at first he was reluctant, Peter gained the respect of the man through his efforts. He also made some new friends, ones gifted like himself, who used those abilities to helping others.

In the back of his mind though, he kept hoping for some sort of resurrection of his lost life.

As if one day he'd wake up and know exactly who he was and where he came from.

And when that didn't happen, he took it upon himself to find the answers.

His search had proved fruitless, all information about who he was seemed to disappear into some sort of internet black hole. No matter how many different search engines or programs he exhausted he had nothing more than a name and a general idea of where he came from.

After weeks of trying he decided to give up his search.

Instead he decided that he would focus on his present and make the best of his current situation.

Lately that had been pretty easy.

Until tonight, all things considered, Peter was doing pretty well for himself.

"You know," Peter stands, turning away from Batgirl to adjust his uniform. "In TV shows and movies, when the character gets drugged and does something stupid, they come out of it with no memory of what they did." Peter manages to adjust himself enough to disguise the erection within his pants before turning back to face an equally flushed Batgirl. "They say something like: "Did I do anything stupid while I wasn't… you know myself…?" and then the other characters smile awkwardly and say-"

"Nothing worth mentioning…" Barbara finishes with a dry smile. Peter smiles gratefully at the woman.

"Of course," Barbara continues walking towards her cycle. "That only works if the person** real**ly doesn't remember anything…"

Peter swallowed hard; she was right. He was fully aware of what he was doing he just didn't** want** to stop. It was as if some repressed side of himself had been awakened, set free for the first time. And despite the implications of what that might mean**, he liked **it.

A lot.

"Come on," She climbs aboard her bike; Peter tries hard not to notice her shapely legs, straddling the powerful machine. "We should get you back to the cave to make sure there aren't any nasty side effects to Ivy's drug…"

Although he could tell from her tone that it wasn't a request he shook his head. "I'm fine. Besides I can make it back on my own…" It came out harder than he meant it to, but he really didn't think he could handle riding on the back of her bike. Whatever she dosed him with cleared the haze he was under, but there was a hangover that made him wonder if he could trust himself.

Barbara started to argue, but instead she shrugged. "Suit yourself, then…" She starts up her bike. "Don't sweat it Spider, Ivy's gotten the best of even Batman before…" With that she streaks off into the night.

**-Arkham Asylum**-

After hanging around to answer questions from police Bruce Wayne changed into the spare uniform Clark brought him and headed straight to the Asylum. There were questions that he knew only one man could answer.

The problem was that man was either; in police custody, imprisoned at Arkham or in the wind. And despite the deadly implication, Bruce was thoroughly convinced that the correct answer to that was door number three. He considered following the armored car that the Joker from the failed Charity heist was housed, but it seemed more likely that he would get better answers from Arkham.

Failing that there was another source of information there he could tap into if necessary.

_**Although, knowing them like I do they'll want something in return… something that I can't give…**_

He passed through the regular security checks at Arkham with ease, after all this had become something of a routine for him. With Commissioner Gordon's help he made sure that only he could gain access to the Asylum, no shape shifters or nut in a bat suit could pass the checks he had installed.

When he informed the Warden who he was there to see, the man simply nodded and directed his guards to escort him. Despite their attempts at staying calm, everyone was on edge.

Himself included.

Of all of his foes, the Joker was the one he most dreaded going up against.

Most of Gotham's villains, he could outsmart or outmaneuver with careful planning and deductive reasoning. Those tactics combined with his training and his arsenal served him well over the years, but they often proved useless in the face of the Joker. All conventional methods failed in the face of the Clown Prince. His encounters with the clown normally ended with a last minute save; Gotham narrowly avoiding disaster. Each scheme of Joker's seemed to increase in violence and danger.

Not to mention insanity.

The first psychologist who ever sat down with the Joker labeled him a psychopath; simply because he had no idea what else to call him. He was simply in a class all his own.

The second suffered a severe psychotic break trying to analyze the man. Therapists are still trying to come up with a name for what happened to Doctor Harleen Quinzel. The brilliant, young doctor abandoned her entire life in favor of devotion to the Joker. It made people question the sanity of those keeping watch over the insane.

In spite of this, or maybe because of it, psychologists the world over lined up for the "honor" of attempting to diagnose and "cure" the Joker. All of them, with their degrees and their papers, failed to realize the truth.

There was **never** any hope of rehabilitation for the Joker. The man was quite simply an **agent of chaos**. He lived for destruction, death and suffering, not because it served a purpose, but because it made him laugh.

Joker was at Arkham, because there was no other place for him to be.

"Roll open Block One!"

The staff at Arkham was accustomed to Batman's late night visits, so the guards didn't bat an eye when he strolled through the corridors heading towards the familiar cell. No one else was kept on this level. Joker had the area all to himself.

"Well, well, a late night visit from the caped crusader… people will talk…" The Joker quipped amused, the same exaggerated smile plastered on his face.

Unlike other prisoners here, Joker was afforded minimal furnishing; one mattress, no frame, one toilet no seat and nothing else. The one time they allowed him a picture he managed to use it and some items smuggled from the cafeteria to create a poisonous gas and escape. He, like a few others, are confined to their cells 24 hours a day. Joker enjoys all of his meals and showers at gun point.

"Let's you and I talk, Joker…" Batman snarls irritated. For what must be the thousandth time, he wishes that the reinforced walls between them weren't there. All the pain Joker has caused, the lives he's extinguished, deep down Batman longed for the opportunity to even the score. It was a line that he never allowed himself to cross, but it didn't mean he never thought about it. "Let's talk about where the Joker **really** is."

"Hmm… sounds like a fun game!" Joker claps his hands animatedly. "Let's see now… you can't mean the clod who attempted to rob that charity event earlier… I mean the man obviously has no sense of style… no appreciation for theatrics…" That had been Batman's feeling as well. Although a robbery is not out of the Joker's usual M.O. the way the robbery took place was missing something. Sure, the impromptu game of Simon Says bore his signature, but even that felt off. The punch lines were all there, it was the delivery that wasn't quite right.

"Although there's no denying that the man is damn **handsome** fellow…"

Then there was the mind control. The technique was something new, something more deadly than anything he'd faced before. The Hatter had a way of controlling minds, but only through his personally designed headgear. So that ruled him out. Besides Hatter would never partner with the Joker; there weren't many who would.

"But as far as Joker's go… meh…"It wasn't any telepathic or hypnotic suggestion either;he'd been trained to resist **both** and** neithe**r left you the **awareness** that you were doing anything out of the ordinary. During the foiled heist Batman had been acutely aware of his desire not to comply, but his movements remained smooth and mechanical.

"Which brings us to lil 'ol me, I guess…"

Batman had been watching the Joker closely, trying to determine if his mannerism matched everything he knew about the man. They did.

Flawlessly.

Which was setting off all types of alarms in his head.

So when the Joker stands up and walks over to the glass, Batman tenses. The two guards that accompany him do the same. Not because they sense any danger; that glass was the same type they used to contain Croc, but they'd learned to take their cues from the Dark Knight. If he felt threatened, they should too.

"You **know me**, Bat-breath, I'm a simple kinda guy…"

Again, Batman notices it; something in the speech pattern is off. It's a small thing, probably only a few people in the world would pick up on it. And even he's not exactly sure **what** he's picking up on.

"I like the simple pleasures in life… a cold glass of lemonade as I watch an orphanage burn to the ground. A firm hanjo while enjoying the sight of my hyenas rip the flesh from a screaming man… these are some of the things that bring me joy…"

The trademark smile fades from Jokers lips.

"Being locked in a pigeon coop, without any **actual pigeons**? Is not one of them!"

With a single blow, Joker's cell explodes outward in a sea of reinforced glass. With a careless backhand, Joker dispatches one of the guards easily, forcing Batman to jump back. The other guard nervously takes aim, fumbling with his weapon.

_**Shape shifter? No, there aren't any in Gotham with this kind of strength. Clayface himself was confined by the very same cell type and never managed to put so much as a scuff on its surface.**_

"I mean how difficult can it be to whip up an edible Salisbury Steak?" Joker continues rampaging, ignoring the rubber bullets being fired at him from the guards. "It's a staple of the TV Dinner!"

_**Can't be venom. He's still the same size and Bane hates Joker nearly as much as he does me. The bullets aren't leaving any marks; no bruising or any skin discolorations… that leaves only one probable answer…**_

Back flipping out of the way of wild swing from the Joker, Batman reaches into his utility belt, pulling from it a small device. Faster than what should be possible for Joker he grabs Batman around the neck and lifts him in the air.

"This isn't usually my bag, but I have a riddle for ya! What do the Batman, Elvis and Tupac all have in common? They all-" Before Joker can deliver his punch line, Batman uses the device he previously took from his belt. With an audible click, Joker collapses to the floor releasing his grip on Batman.

Batman crouches next to the fallen Joker, gasping slightly as the guards warily converge. He doesn't acknowledge their presence; his focus is completely on the frozen expression on Joker's face.

"What did he do to 'em?" One of the guards whispers to a man on his right.

Batman stands to his feet, touching his hand to his cowl.

"Watchtower, send Blue to meet me at Arkham immediately…" The grim set of his jaw and his clenched fists let the guards know to be busy elsewhere.

**-Gotham City skies-**

For the fifth time Peter glances down at the digital readout on his gauntlet and confirms the blip has not moved.

After he bid farewell to Batgirl, he took to the air, hoping that Ivy and Quinn were not out of range yet. Once he realized they weren't he followed the trail.

He knew he should've let Batgirl in on his plan, but he wanted to take them down on his own. He **needed** to prove to himself that he could handle things, that Batman had not made a mistake in training him.

Between his training, his natural abilities and the weaponry supplied to him by the billionaire; Ivy and Quinn should have been nothing more than speed bump. His strategy had been sound. He took out Quinn to deal with the more dangerous Ivy, but the nerve pinch he applied didn't have the desired effect.

He performed that maneuver nearly a dozen times, in any number of scenarios and in each instance the target was unconscious for at least an hour. Yet Quinn was able to shake it off in seconds. Her surprise recovery helped Ivy get the drop on him.

He approaches the waterfront district taking note of the multiple derelict warehouses in the area, wondering not for the first time, why so many of Gotham's criminal element frequent this area. Thorne, Two-Face, Scarface and a slew of other mid-level types had all taken up residence at one time or another here.

Gotham Harbor was the Elis Island of low life scum.

_**If the police were serious about eliminating organized crime, one well-placed missile and problem solved… Of course then the sanitation department would have a mess of charred limbs to clean up...**_

Peter shakes his head of the savage imagery that thought conjures up, chalking it up to frustration and the lingering effects of Ivy's toxin and lands softly on the roof.

Checking his readout one last time to confirm he's in the right place, he peers through the stained glass of the skylight. Switching the lenses in his cowl to the infrared spectrum he picks up a single heat signature moving around below.

_**Looks like the ladies split up… I guess I'll have to settle for wrangling just one bad chick for tonight…**_

**-Metropolis Plaza, 103****rd**** floor-**

"All the pieces are in place; soon we will have all that we seek…"

The man speaking stands on the balcony of the plush hotel room, taking in the Metropolis skyline. At first glance he could pass for a man in his early thirties, but his true age is lost amidst recorded time. The world around him may have changed, but his agenda hasn't.

"You've uttered those words before… only to be thwarted time and again…" Another man joins him on the terrace, sipping brandy. Physically he looks much older, but that makes him no less dangerous. The younger man bristles slightly at his comment, keeping his eyes on the night sky.

"The time was not right then… mankind wasn't… ready for such a drastic change…" he answers, turning to face the man. It's obvious the two do not like each other, which begs the question of what strange circumstances brought the two of them together.

"They have always preferred the **illusion** of free will to true peace… You of all people know this father…"

The answer appears behind them in the form a woman, as beautiful as she is deadly.

It was she who first brought these two men together so it's fitting that she is the only thing keeping them that way.

She affectionately kisses the older man on his forehead before joining them.

"Besides, I believe the scope of Vandal's… misteps… have taught him how to **properly** achieve his goal… **our goal**…" The woman then slips her arm around Savage's waist.

"That remains to be seen." Pausing to take a sip from his glass, the older man turns thoughtfully to the street below. "And there are still other things to consider…" The older man's smile fades as he looks over Vandal Savage. Seeing his daughter cozying up to a man such as him made him sick with rage.

"If you are worried about those we've tabbed to bring about our order…"

"Actually my concern is regarding… him…" This time the woman loses her smile. For a moment she believes her father is referring to Vandal, but taking note of his expression she can see the barest glint of fear she knows she is incorrect. Her father has nothing to fear from Savage. Nothing to fear from any mortal man.

"There is no need, to be concerned father… the final solution will bear no trace of our involvement. Justice will come to those beneath our station…" She walks away from the two men, but not before her father utters a warning.

"Lyta, dear daughter… there are forces at work even beyond your ken…"

Lyta turns back to her father, smiling sweetly. "Which is why I have you here father… to guide me…"

**-Warehouse 19-**

Peter drops from the skylight without making a sound. The area in front of him is dark, but he is able to make out three large crates. Investigating them further he takes note that they don't have any labels on them. Each crate, standing about seven feet in height simply bear a number on them; 18, 27 and 3. Before he can investigate them further, he feels someone approach.

"You shouldn't have come here, boy…"

"Yeah… apparently I tend to end up in all kinds of places I'm not supposed to be…." Peter turns to face Poison Ivy who is standing a few feet away from him. He depresses a special lever in his wrist which changes his gauntlet from web mode to impact webbing. This time he was taking no chances.

With a speed that would have made Flash proud, he fires two shots of webbing at Ivy, the webbing quickly immobilizing her. Dropping her to the floor, wrapped up in a cocoon of webbing.

"Nice trick," Ivy smirks coyly. Peter makes no move towards her, he knows first hand the last thing you want to do is get too close to Poison Ivy. "Who exactly are you, anyway?"

Peter smiles, realizing he hadn't introduced himself in their first encounter. Dropping his guard slightly he answers. "I'm the guy who will be hauling your butt back to Arkham, but since that's a mouthful you can call me Spiderman…"

"Spiderman…" Ivy repeats testing the name out. "Well, you're about to have the shortest crime fighting career in history…" Peter turns just in time to avoid the fist that punches through crate labeled "3"

Through the haze of splintered wood, Peter comes face to face with something impossible.

"Batman…?"

Peter's shocked question is answered with a kick that narrowly misses taking his head off. He's fought against Batman dozens of times since coming to reside at Wayne Manor. Most of the time those encounters ended with Peter shakily picking himself off the floor, bruised but not broken. In every one of those matches, Batman showed restraint, never attacking him with the ferocity that he does now. In spite of all his training, a sliver of fear finds its way into his heart.

_**If Bruce is under Ivy's spell, how do I snap him out of it? Without resorting to deadly force?**_

Flipping out of harm's way he tries his impact webbing again, figuring that if he can immobilize the Dark Knight he can cure him later. He groans in frustration as Batman easily evades his shot and fires another.

This too misses its mark.

_**Ok Peter, remember what Bruce taught you; when dealing with an agile enemy it's not about aim, but about anticipation…**_

Peter fires a shot towards Batman and just before the man dodges again, he fires another to a spot he guesses Batman will leap to. The ball of weaponized chemicals hits him square in the chest, expanding in the blink of an eye.

"Yes! Spiderman 1, Batman ze-"

Batman rips himself free of the webbing without much effort and leaps at the distracted Spiderman. Unable to avoid the impact, Peter is forced back into a brick wall, leaving a deep imprint. Pain erupts over Spiderman's entire body.

"Been… hitting the HGH a little… huh?" Spiderman pulls himself free of the wall, swaying a bit on his feet. He can taste blood in his mouth and his entire midsection feels like it's on fire, but nothing feels broken. Batman takes a step backward and winds up for the killing blow.

That's when realization dawns on him.

The real Batman would never be able to hit him this hard, even at his peak.

_**Which means, Petey my boy, this ain't him!**_

Catching Batman's wrist mid swing, Peter cocks his fist and hits him as hard as he can in the jaw. The force of the blow hurtles Batman clear across the room, giving Peter space to recover.

He quickly moves to pursue, but not before noticing that both Ivy and the two remaining crates are gone.

_**Beat yourself up over that one later Pete, you're gonna have your hands full with the fake Batman…**_

Right on cue, the doppelganger runs full speed at Spiderman. Too fast for his own good, because it is unable to avoid the well placed roundhouse kick Peter delivers.

"So what should I call you?" Peter asks, avoiding a barrage of swings. "Bat-Clone? Bat-Bot? Batmanganger…? No wait that's just terrible. Doppelbatman? Give me a second, I can do better…"

"Spiderman."

"Sorry Chuckles, that name is already copy written… or at least it will be as soon as I figure out how copyright law works in regards to superhuman alias'…" Mid ramble, Peter realizes that the voice is coming from the communication device inside his cowl and that this is the real Batman calling him.

"Spiderman…?" Batman's voice comes over the com again, this time slightly irritated and confused.

"Sorry, boss," Peter apologizes and the momentary distraction allows the Batman he's fighting to land a solid punch. "Geez! What are you two doing? Working together?"

Realizing that Spiderman is in the middle of a fight, Batman replies. "Wrap things up as quick as you can… I need you to meet me aboard the Watchtower."

"Hooray! I love field trips!" Peter responds excitedly executing a series of combinations to his opponents face. While it staggers, Peter switches his cowls' lenses to infrared spectrum.

_**Okay so no heat signature, which explains how I didn't pick up on CopyBat earlier… hopefully that means this thing isn't alive. Otherwise I'm going to have some explaining to do…**_

Leaping high in the air, Peter webs the feet of the copy and lands on its shoulders.

"Hold still pal," Using his strength, along with the leverage afforded him by the adhesive properties of his feet; he rips the head free. He is relieved when the fluid that splatters his face is cool and silver and not warm and red.

Without the head, the body clatters lifelessly to the floor as Spiderman leaps free holding the head.

"I wonder…" Curiously Peter lifts the cowl free from the severed head to find a featureless face staring back at him. "Creepy…" The severed head begins to thrum in his hands and his Spider sense begins screaming its familiar warning.

_**Guess there's no chance of a souvenir…**_

Dropping the head to floor and webbing it to the body, Peter slings the entire mass out the front of the warehouse. It hits the water with a loud splash and everything is silent for a beat. Peter scampers back up to the roof, scanning the roads for any signs of where Ivy may have escaped to.

_**No sign of the Psycho Green Redhead and no awesome underwater explosion…**_

His Spider sense begins blaring again and he looks back at the still waters. "Wait for it…"

The explosion forces tons of water into the air from Gotham City Harbor which Peter watches from his perch.

"I'm sure that if I think about it long enough I can find** something** positive about tonight…"

"Perhaps, you will…"

Peter whirls in the direction of the voice only to find he is alone on the rooftop.

**-Watchtower, examination room-**

"The technology is remarkably sophisticated…"

"And **familiar**, J'onn, that's the part that bothers me the most…"

"Not the fact that six of Arkham's finest has been replaced by these… things…?"

"One, relates to the other, Superman…" Batman replies irritated, never taking his eyes off the open chest of the Joker. It was a strange thing to have one his deadliest enemies splayed on an examination table, but it would have been less unnerving if he were looking at Joker's undoubtedly black heart. Instead he's face to face with an intricate system of wires and gears.

"Anything come up missing from Wayne Technologies recently?" Superman asks taking a look at a monitor on the far wall. Not being an engineering genius like Bruce he tries to make sense of what he's seeing on the monitor.

"No." Batman answers, standing up straight and walking over to a terminal. "But that's not what I find familiar about the design, why don't you use that vision of yours for something useful Kent and take a closer look…"

Ignoring the biting tone of Batman's request, Superman focuses on the torso on the table. He's silent until he notices a very familiar symbol within in the innards of Joker.

"Kryptonian…"

"Yes." Batman nods placing the Joker in a stasis field. "Having taken a recent tour through Brainiacs' destroyed lair, I recognized his imprint immediately… I can understand why you may not have picked up on it as quickly…"

This time Batman's tone is sympathetic. Superman would have good reason to put out of his mind that experience with Brainiac.

"But how… and why use it to free Gotham's crazed and deranged?"

"The **how** may lead me to the **why**…" Batman answers, making his way from the room. Before he can leave, Superman reaches out to stop him.

"I don't suppose you plan on enlightening me?"

"I do…" Batman frees himself from Superman's grip. "When I know for certain."

"Bruce," Superman blocks Batman's path, looking him in the eyes with a hint of anger. "This is no longer **your fight**. If Brainiac is involved then this becomes a **League** matter…"

"But I'm just a part timer…" Batman flashes his humorless smile, which causes Superman to grit his teeth angrily. "Still, I agree with you Superman and once I know for sure… you will be the first to know."

"That's not good enough, Bruce. Not this time. You know what he has planned for the earth, for the universe if he can get away with it!"

"Superman," J'onn intercedes between the two men, with a calm tone. "It appears that although this is his technology, Brainiac may not be involved. Until we know what we are dealing with, it may be wise not to tip the enemy off that we know something is amiss…"

"This is exactly what a full scale League investigation will do..." Batman nods agreeing with J'onn. "Let everyone involved know that we're on to them."

Superman doesn't want to agree with him but he recognizes he has a point. More than that, despite his recent departure from the League, there is no one Superman trusts more among those who defend the planet. Batman has shown time and again that he will do anything to save and protect the world.

"I want to be kept in the loop on every development, Bruce. And I want your word that if you think that Brainiac is directly involved you will bring in the big guns."

This time Batman smiles genuinely. "You keep that up; people are going to begin to think I'm unduly influencing you…"

Batman leaves without ever agreeing, but Superman knows the man will keep his unspoken promise.

**-Watchtower, transport room-**

"Sick!" Peter exclaims as he materializes onto the Watchtower platform study his completely formed hands with awe.

"First transport?"

Peter turns to face a smiling Wonder Woman and clears his throat. "Uh yes Wonder Woman, but hopefully not my last."

Wonder Woman frowns confused. "Peter, why are you talking like that?"

"Uh… I guess because I'm an idiot who didn't realize you knew who I was beneath the mask…"

"Ah… well, no one else aboard here knows except Zatana and of course Nightwing, so you can drop the act."

"Right," Spiderman steps off the platform. "And again I just want to say that I'm sorry for-"

"The more you apologize for your… mistake… the more uncomfortable it makes the both of us. Let this be your final apology concerning that…"

Peter makes the motion of zipping his lips. "I am batting .1000 today…" he whispers to himself.

"I never understood that idiom… from what I know of baseball; batting .1000 would be akin to perfection would it not?"

"I don't get most of what humans are saying J'onn…" Diana responds as Martian Manhunter, Superman and Batman all enter the room. She glances over at Batman who acknowledges her with a nod. "Their actions almost never mirror their words…"

Batman is the only to catch the hidden meaning in her words, but before he can comment on them Spiderman speaks.

"I can explain it to ya double J! See-"

"I'd much rather you explain what happened tonight. Everything leading up to the waterfront warehouse explosion…" Batman interrupts, looking down at Peter.

"Of course you would…"

**-Joker's hideout-**

"How could you do this to me?"

Joker has been yelling non-stop since Ivy returned from the Warehouse. She was supposed to come back with three crates, one very special crate in particular, so seeing her return with two was upsetting. Especially considering who and what was in crate number three.

"We were tailed; I had to activate one of them in order to get back with these two!" Ivy was upset herself. Initially this plan seemed to be a straightforward gig, now it was taking on too many twists and turns for her liking. Mind control, doppelgangers, creepy benefactors, it was all overwhelming. Although having the Quinn robot on hand tonight proved to be useful; without her, Ivy would likely be back in Arkham right now.

She wanted out of Arkham to pursue her own interests, but when the woman and the old man approached her with an opportunity to expand her toxins, she jumped at the chance. With their help she'd been able to create more potent concoctions than ever before, but now she was beginning to wonder just what the endgame was. So far they'd given them everything they needed to start a full scale war.

What did they truly want?

"Well you should've activated one of the others…" Joker flops back onto his recliner, defeated. "I had **plans **for the Bat…"

Ivy shuddered in disgust thinking what that could mean. Commissioning Hiro to make anatomically correct copies of himself and Quinn was bad enough, she had no desire to know what else his depraved mind could come up with.

"Don't worry Puddin' we promise to make it all better…"

Ivy turns away as twin Quinn's crawl into Joker's lap. Ivy could no longer tell which one was the original and which was the fake.

And she was willing to bet he didn't care.


	9. Broken hearts and broken jaws

_**A/N Yes this has been extremely late, I know! Thanks to all the people who have made this story their favorite and are following! It helps my fingers work the keys on my laptop better! Read, Review and hopefully enjoy!**_

**-Watchtower Training Room-**

Having spent the better part of her life training, she prides herself on her self-control.

Maintaining that control in every situation is something that came natural to her and key to the safety of the other Amazons; given her incredible strength. It was a point of pride with her that she was able to keep her cool in every situation.

That being said there are some situations that Wonder Woman never prepared for.

**-Watchtower Conference Room, moments ago-**

"Batman? A moment?"

"Yes, Wonder Woman?" His tone is gruff, but Diana has gotten used to it by now. When the **cowl **is on he's all business and given all that's happened in the last few hours, she can understand the abruptness of his tone.

"You know I was still in the Gotham area, I could have assisted you in Arkham…" She would have enjoyed the opportunity to work with him in field. It was those moments when he was a little less guarded about his feelings for her.

For Batman this usually meant using his** words **to say **nothing**, as opposed to not saying anything at all.

"While you are an incredibly formidable warrior Diana, X-Ray vision is not one of your abilities… Superman was the best suited to uncover the copies **and he was also** in the Gotham area." He answers.

"I see…" She didn't know Kal was in Gotham, as far as she knew he hated the place. But she wasn't going to let that deter her. "What happened to the **Joker** they captured earlier?" According to the briefing Joker was in Arkham and at the charity event Bruce attended, both had been taken into custody. Given the unnatural strength of the duplicates they uncovered at Arkham, she couldn't imagine that the GCPD was able to keep it in custody.

"It seems to be a less… sophisticated copy… likely a first attempt. No enhanced abilities as far as we can tell. Gotham PD logs for tonight state that it simply shut down on its own. Not knowing what to do they turned it over to Cadmus… I got there too late to intercede…" Diana notes his jaw tightens at this admission, she knew he hated when things slipped past him especially things in his own city.

She reaches out to touch his arm in a comforting way. "You can't know **everything** or be **everywhere**, Batman, no one can." Diana only frowns slightly when he removes her hand from his arm. It's almost as if a simple gesture of affection causes him pain. She wonders briefly if it does.

Since his parents murder, his life has been an unending stream of training, self-denial and sacrifice. As soon as he was able, he set out on his mission; honing his body as vigorously as he honed his mind. Without having any unnatural abilities he was always the most dangerous man in any room he walked into.

But all of that came at a cost.

It was a cost she herself paid.

Since she took her first breath, her life on Themyscira has also been centered on a singular goal; the protection of her people. It made them more alike than dissimilar, despite Batman's repeated claims to the contrary. He only ever saw her as the naïve young hero she was when she first came to know of man's world.

"I can't afford to not know everything… I can't afford… distractions…" Though his cowl hides his eyes, she can feel them steady on her.

"What exactly are you saying?"

Batman takes a surreptitious glance around before closing the gap between them answering. "Cards on the table Princess, the League does a lot of good, but operating above the rest of the world, leaves you **disconnected** from it. I can't protect Gotham thousands of miles above it. It's the real reason why I left. That and I can't be… effective at my work if I have personal attachments… A fact tonight's' events made crystal clear…"

She could scarcely believe that Batman was actually looking to blame Gotham City's doppelganger madness on a lunch date with her. Again she felt herself irritated at the contradictory nature of man; this man in particular.

He speaks of attachments being fatal to his work, but a brief look around his BatCave would indicate he has nothing but attachments.

"Right… And I suppose that Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl and Spiderman are what? Employees? Your relationships did not lead to this situation. You can't take responsibility for the entire worlds' problems! You're only one man!"

"You're right, princess… Which is exactly why I need to stay focused… why I can not indulge in **anything** except the mission. **Nothing** else matters." In his reasoning, she realized, he did not see those close to him as hindering his goal, because everything was on his terms. They were soldiers in his personal war, who followed his orders and when they didn't he cut them loose.

His way, is the only way.

Diana's anger finally bubbles over, leaving a seething calm. "Yes, I understand." Diana walks away from Batman without another word. She's surprised to find his firm grip on her arms only seconds later.

"This." He turns her around to face him. "Is exactly the reason that… what you want could never be Diana…Look at how a simple meal has affected our work…"

Diana is startled by the softness in his voice, the almost pleading quality to it.

In his mind he's gone through every single scenario and he's still come to the conclusion that pursuing a relationship with her would lead to disaster.

And of course he would see it that way. She knew this; even if she didn't understand why. She only knew that his so-called _**"good intentions" **_were leaving her emotionally drained.

When he releases his grip, he opens his mouth to continue, but she quiets him with a look.

"I understand. I'm sorry to have bothered you… **Batman**." This time when she turns to leave, he doesn't stop her.

**-Watchtower Training Room-**

She had meant for that conversation to go so much differently.

She wanted to speak to him about the situation **briefly** and find a way to ease herself into thanking him for lunch. Bruce had truly let his guard down this afternoon and it had been a wonderful experience.

She found him to be intelligent, thoughtful, charming and witty. Why he would keep that part of himself buried so deeply, she had no idea.

As brave as he'd shown himself to be in battle, he seemed deathly afraid of letting anyone see or know too much about him. Zatanna, who knew Bruce better than anyone, had told her that this would always keep the two of them from having anything meaningful.

Diana could tell the woman spoke from experience.

Of course that's why she wanted** him** to come to his senses on his own. For him to profess his love for **her**, admit to the feelings he'd been burying for so long. That was the way it went in all the books she'd read when she was younger. The knight, though pledged to his duty, found room in his life for his obligation and his love.

Why couldn't the **Dark Knight** do the same?

"I'd hate to be whoever you're mad at right now…"

The steady thrum of the heavy bag had kept Diana from hearing her approach. The voice belongs to Supergirl, the cousin of Superman. Diana doesn't turn around; she simply continues to beat the punching into submission. The bag is not only designed to handle Superman's strongest blows, but it was designed by the very man who she would prefer were in its place.

The thought of forcing him into submission in combat appealed to her Amazonian side.

"Can I help you Kara?" Diana likes the young girl, but right now she's not in the best of moods.

"Yes… um… you see there's a situation in… uh Star City…" Obviously, Diana flustered the girl with the sharpness of her tone. She's still fairly new here and no doubt feels somewhat out of place.

Diana finally turns to face the young girl, trying her best to smile. "Have you alerted Superman, Kara?"

The girl shakes her head vigorously before responding. "Ka- uh Superman is dealing with another situation in Metropolis. J'onn informed me to tell you about it because some guys are tearing up downtown claiming to be… uh … agents of Ares…?"

**-Star City, downtown-**

"Spiderman, Ravage let's keep them away from the more heavily populated areas!"

"Ja vol herr kommandant!" Ravage yells moving towards the minions. "C'mon Webs' get the lead out! Proportionate agility of a spider my left eye!"

"What left eye?" Spiderman quips, bounding into two attackers, crashing their heads together. He got the call from Robin just before sun up and having been on the run the last nine hours straight; he is admittedly not on his "A" game. "Take it easy on me willya? I've been going at this hero thing since nine something last night!"

"So what you're saying is," Ravage pauses to kick a husky agitator in the mouth. "You're lacking in the stamina department…? That's good to know…"

"What?" Peter, taken off guard by her comment neglects to pull his punch, sending a thug hurtling through a store front window.

"Jeez Spiderman!" Robin yells joining them to finish off the last two in the area. "Show a little restraint!"

"I- it was- forget it…" Spiderman leaps over a charging agent, using his momentum to push him right into the left fist of Ravage. They had no idea what the men were after. They seemed more or less content to just cause massive amounts of property damage and cause utter chaos. "Anyone else notice these guys have yet to say another word?" Peter webs two of them to the ground and knocks them out as the struggle to break free.

"I for one like it." Ravage quips, smashing in another man's teeth with the hilt of her sword. "Nothing I hate more than super villain banter…" She laughs as she sidesteps the swings of a more skilled fighter

"I agree with Ravage on this one Spiderman…" Robin retorts driving his knee into the chin of another agent. Since announcing themselves as Agents of Ares, none of them have said anything else.

Robin knew about the copies in Gotham, so initially he thought these were more of the same. Beetle dispelled that theory though with a simple scan. These were just ordinary men, some skilled, most just brawlers, really it made no sense to him at all. But he would worry about that once they took them down.

"Blue Beetle, Wonder Girl, report!"

"East of 33rd is clear!" Wonder Girl announces over the com link. Since hitting the ground Robin had divided the Titans into teams of two; Wonder Girl and Blue Beetle, Miss Martian and Kid Devil along with the three of them.

"Good, start rounding them up! Miss Martian?"

"We're clear on our end too, headed your way…"

After knocking down another agent, Peter turns to Robin. "This makes no sense…"

"I agree…" Robin was just as confused as Spiderman was. The attack was both coordinated and directionless. Adding to that, there seemed to be no end to them, as if they were in a video game and the enemies just kept respawning. "But that's a puzzle to be solved later, for now focus on putting an end to this attack."

Both Spiderman and Ravage nod in agreement and continue taking out the attackers. Since the area is now free of civilians, they can cut loose. The three move fluidly together; all equally skilled and agile with Robin leading the way.

They make quick work of the remaining fighters.

"Think that's it?" Robin stoops to check another man's pulse before looking up at Peter.

Peter cocks his head up to the roof tops smiling. "What do you think, bird boy?"

Robin frowns as he takes note of dozens of armed men leaping down towards them. A few have already begun to fire their weapons at them.

"Scatter!" Robin takes cover behind an abandoned car. "Titans! Hostiles have switched to heavy weapons; everyone rally at Baker St!" The others were more durable to this type of attack than they were and judging by the weapons they would need the assistance.

"What are you doing?" Ravage yells at Spiderman, but he doesn't seem to hear her. Instead he weaves in and out of harm's way with ridiculous speed. Ravage watches from behind a brown SUV. "That's… impossible… there's no way…"

Robin peaks over the hood of his cover car and smirks. "For anyone else, maybe…"

Spiderman flips between targets, punching and kicking his way through the men. He manages to not only avoid their weapons, but he also keeps them from hitting each other in the crossfire. To an outsider it looks like a coordinated ballet more than an actual fight. His limbs turn mid air in ways that the human body was not meant to contort.

His main priority is to disable as many guns as he can; either by webbing them up or smashing them with his strength. They show little regard for each other, making it twice as hard for him to end this without any casualties.

He twists hard midair to avoid a strafe of bullets, while kicking another man out of the way of the stray fire. Each time Ravage opens her mouth to offer a warning, he already seems aware of it. Robin had mentioned that Spiderman had enhanced senses, but not even her father was capable of moving like this. He didn't just anticipate attacks, he knew they were coming and from where.

He was simply amazing.

"You guys plan on helping?" Spiderman asks smashing the last weapon in his hands.

The two leap into battle simultaneously and engage the remaining men. Without their weapons they are no more a threat than their predecessors, although this group seems more skilled.

They hadn't attempted to steal anything, take any hostages or make any demands; they seemed purely interested in chaos. Which, if they were truly agents of Ares, chaos is his forte, but there had to be a larger scheme at play. But Robin was right; that was a question for later.

A familiar tingle at the base of his skull causes Spiderman to look up again. There he catches sight of a strange ponytailed man standing on the rooftop watching the scene unfold.

"Excuse me guys, I gotta go see a man about a nefarious plot…" Spiderman quips as he moves towards the figure. With the same speed he displayed before he attaches a web line to the roof and pulls himself up.

Peter comes face to face with the man in the tailored suit as he lands gracefully in front of him

"I always say; if you want to find a criminal mastermind, look for the dude in the bad ponytail…"

"And if you want to find a fledgling hero in well over his head... look for the kid in the ridiculous costume…" With a speed that surprises Spiderman, the man swings in a series of combinations that he is able to just barely avoid.

"You got a name? I like to know who I'm about to pummel into dust. Ya know, for the scrapbook…" Spiderman jokes leaping away.

He knows this is Vandal Savage, the man who's lived a dozen lifetimes. The files he's read on him indicate that he's an incredibly deadly foe. Like Spiderman himself, Savage is an enhanced human, with super human strength, speed, and stamina. Plus, having lived for several centuries he has mastered just as many, if not more, forms of combat as Batman.

Savage doesn't answer with words; instead he delivers a kick that likely would have removed Peter's head from his shoulders. He dodges his follow up punch and counters with a hard left to Savage's ear, causing him to waver slightly. Pressing his momentary advantage he follows with an equally fast right hand but finds it countered and narrowly avoids an open handed strike to the neck.

Spiderman again creates distance between them trying to figure out his next move.

"The Self-defense course at the 'Y mas be really extensive these days... do they give you a belt for completion or is it just a certificate thing?" Spiderman never takes his off of Savage, looking for an opening to exploit.

Savage tucks an errant hair from his face before charging at Spiderman.

Hoping to use his momentum against him Spiderman waits until he gets closer; too late he realizes Savage is baiting him. He's too slow to avoid the knee to his solar plexus and not nearly fast enough to counter the staggering right to his jaw. Peter tells himself that it's fatigue that allows the man to connect.

Stars explode behind Peter's eyes as he drops to one knee. If not for his enhanced physiology he may have already been rendered unconscious. As it stood, he wasn't too far from it now.

Sweeping blindly at Savage's legs he buys himself a second, but in that second Savage produces a knife. Peter now realizes his mistake.

He'd been trying to fight Savage like a man.

But he's a Spider.

Summoning reserves he didn't know he had, Peter leaps high into the air, just avoiding being skewered on the edge of the long knife Savage just produced. While mid-air, Peter fires two web lines, both connect with Savage's shoulders and Peter uses them as leverage to toss Savage into a brick roof column. While Savage is attempting to extricate himself from the rubble, Spiderman follows up with several stingers that embed themselves in Vandal's face. It has the desired effect, as the man screams in rage pulling the barbed tips from his face.

Crouching low to the ground Peter circles Vandal until he finds an opening and drives himself shoulder first into his midsection. Before Vandal can bring his fists down on the hero's back, Peter twists to the side and hits Vandal with his last salvo of stingers.

Just as Vandal falls to the ground, Peter webs him up with nearly half the batch of webbing in his reserves. Breathing heavily, he stands over Savage feeling triumphant.

"It's a little early, but I think you'll make the perfect birthday present for-"

Somehow Vandal Savage, despite having no leverage, is able to not only get up to a sitting position, but get a hand free to hurl a piece of rubble at Spiderman. Peter dodges it with ease, but the second it buys Savage allows the man to get to his feet.

The fact that he is able to shake off the toxin in his stingers, they normally render most people unconscious, without being even slightly dizzy, is impressive.

_**Well the guy is immortal after all…**_

Despite that realization, Peter is unprepared for the sight of Savage removing his highly adhesive, incredibly strong webbing from himself. Even less prepared for the dry chuckle that follows.

"What's so funny, Giggles? Catch a glimpse of how ridiculous you look in my reflective lenses?" Peter goes over his options for taking him out in his head and is coming up empty. Savage looks confused at Peter's comment for a moment, but then nods slowly.

"Ah… I see…" Savage steps back into a fighting stance. "You use humor to disguise your fear… I have shed such weaknesses…"

"Is that why you hide on roof tops, sending minions to do your dirty work? Because you are without fear?"

Spiderman doesn't need to turn around to recognize Wonder Woman's voice, so he keeps both eyes on Savage. Wonder Woman being here evens the odds a bit in their favor, but there's no way to know what else Savage may have up his sleeve.

Vandal shrugs pulling a small device from his pocket. "Not my work I assure you…" Spiderman tries to make out the device, but he can't tell what it is.

_**Did he plant explosives somewhere in the city? Maybe here on this roof? He is supposedly immortal; will he die if he decides to blow himself and us to bits? My Spider Sense isn't going off yet...**_

"So you've allied yourself with Ares?" Wonder Woman asks landing next to Spiderman. If she's taken note of the device, she makes no outward showing that she does. "I would not have thought you willing to share this world with anyone… let alone… him."

His laugh is deep and harsh, but his face bears no trace of a smile. "For you to question **my** allegiances, shows me you are not equipped to play this game..." He depresses the button on his device, opening a boom tube behind him.

With equal speed, Spiderman fires twin webs at him snagging his torso and begins pulling him back. Wonder Woman adds her strength to his and the two not only manage to hold him steady, but begin to pull him free of the vortex.

"You're going nowhere!" Peter jokes, wondering where he heard those words uttered before.

"Indeed." Wonder Woman adds hoping that Peter's webbing will hold up under the strain. She wants to use her lasso, but is afraid if she lets go for a moment that Savage will pull away. "You have much to answer for this da-"

"Quit playing with them, love..."

Wonder Woman can scarcely believe her eyes as the woman frees Vandal Savage from their hold and pulls him the rest of the way through. Spiderman and Wonder Woman stagger backwards as the portal closes.

"Great Hera... No..." Wonder Woman whispers sadly.

"At least we know who's behind the attack of the-" Whatever clever joke had been on Peter's mind is lost when he looks at the ashen hero behind him. He'd seen Diana angry, seen her frustrated and seen her embarrassed, but he'd never seen her the way she looked now.

Afraid.

"Didja catch him?" Ravage asks as Miss Martian deposits her gently on the rooftop. She along with the rest of the Titans are too late to aid in capturing Vandal.

"Wha-?" Spiderman is still trying to make sense of Wonder Woman's reaction so he's only half paying attention to the question.

"Ponytail!" Ravage steps in front of him. "You know, the guy you ditched us in the middle of a fight to chase after?"

"We had the situation under control, Rose, there's no need to be mean..." M'gann counters. She did not get much of human interactions and wasn't sure if this fell under teasing or if Rose was truly mad at Peter.

"If I was being mean, Martian, I'd make fun of his height. Or his costume-"

"Uniform, Rose... it's his uniform."

"Whatever! Must you **always** play lil Miss Sunshine?"

"Wonder Woman, did you recognize the girl with Savage?" Spiderman ignores the spat developing between M'gann and Rose, choosing instead to focus on the more important mystery. It was plain to see that Diana knew the girl who rescued Savage and that knowledge could help in unraveling the confusing events of this morning. He didn't mind taking a few lumps in defending innocent people, but he'd like to know **why** if he could.

"I- I must go..." Without another word she takes to the air leaving the young Teen Titans behind. Spiderman watches her go. Replaying the scene in his mind, he would bet money that the girl had on an Amazonian garment, or at least some loose approximation of one.

"First doppelgangers, then henchmen of demigods, now dudes in ponytails... this is getting more ridiculous every second. What next? Time traveling, dimension hopping kids ridding hover boards?"

"I'll tell you what's next," Rose laughs wryly. "Varsity leaves the JV squad behind to clean up the mess..."

"Speaking from your High School frustrations, Rose?" Peter jokes checking his jaw to make sure everything was still in one piece. He'd taken quite a shot from Savage.

"Do you even** remember** High School, Pete?"

**-Bat Cave, two days later-**

"Star City was a classic misdirection, and you fell for it... plain and simple..."

Batman, who had left for Japan to track down a lead in the duplicate problem, had missed the Agents of Ares attack. When Robin approached him for some insight into the situation this wasn't what he had in mind.

"I hate to disagree but there was nothing simple about Star City!" Robin was no longer the boy enamored with the Caped Crusader, he led his own team and he would not be talked to like a rookie. "We hit the ground and defused the situation. What would you have suggested I do? Tell the bad guys; "Hey any other day we'd be all for this fight but since you're just a distraction we'll have to be going."? We don't pick and choose which lives to save!"

Batman turns and removes his cowl, glaring at Robin. "No. But we can be- **we have to be**- intelligent about the way we do what needs to be done. You could have easily had Supergirl and Miss Martian stamp out the problem, while the real threat in Metropolis was attended to. Perhaps if that had been considered three of our own wouldn't have been seriously injured that day..."

Robin throws his hands up in exasperation. "I was following orders, like **you** taught me to! Big Blue gave the word Bruce, who would think he would get taken out?"

The look of disappointment on Bruce's face is clear. "I've always said that Meta's trust in their superhuman abilities **too much**... but perhaps an even greater danger is the trust **we** put in them. With proper time and planning there are at least eleven different ways of incapacitating Superman; four of them could possibly kill, if I have considered this, you can be sure our enemy has as well..."

Robin knew he was right. He along with everyone else assumed that Metropolis was under Superman's protection and he could handle whatever came his way.

They were wrong.

It's a well-known fact that Superman has always been particularly vulnerable to magic and the hooded women who terrorizing the Metropolis Museum of Art was wielding it in vast abundance. She had somehow managed to keep every mystic in the League from recognizing the nature of her attacks, which led to injuries to the team.

"Anyone who would be brazen enough to attack Metropolis in broad daylight would be prepared to handle Superman. I taught you to follow orders, but I also taught you to think." Batman continues. Since he returned to Gotham last night he's had his nose buried in his Tablet. Whatever intelligence he was able to grab from his visit to the self-proclaimed Toyman must have been enthralling.

"How would my being there have helped the situation any?"

Superman was still aboard Watchtower under solar lamps recovering in the infirmary. Along with Black Canary and Hawkgirl, she took out a third of the Justice League without a word. It was fortunate that once she recovered what they were after they left. Using the same Boom Tube technology Savage did in Star City. She took something called the "Harp of Orpheus". Robin had tried to find information on it but all he could find was a story of Orpheus traveling to the Underworld to retrieve his wife, Eurydice, who had just died of snakebite. He was talented with the instrument, and used it to charm his way into the depths of Hades realm, but it had no known magical properties.

It was just an interesting trinket from legends past.

Batman grabs both of his shoulders and forces him to look up. "Besides Dick, you are the one who I would want most to be on the ground in that situation. Your abilities of deductive reasoning could have been the catalyst to bringing us closer to ending whatever this is..." Robin had a feeling that Batman wasn't just talking about the attacks or the doppelgangers.

"That is the question isn't it?" Spiderman drops in on the two from the ceiling. He'd been planning on bending Batman's ear about this the second the man returned from meeting with Hiro. Robin just beat him to it. "What exactly is going on? And how do the loonies released from Arkham tie into the supposed God of War and a two-thousand year old Michael Bolton fan..."

Batman walked away from the two of them without a word.

"What's his deal?" Peter asks Robin as soon as he's confident that Batman is out of earshot. He'd gotten used to Bruce's brooding nature, but not even acknowledging him was cold even for him.

"He doesn't know what's going on… and he doesn't like not knowing what's going on…" Robin answered. The fact was that Robin didn't like it when Batman didn't know what was going on either. He was the one person everyone counted on to know what they didn't.

And he was just as in the dark as the rest of them.

"He's not alone…" Peter states looking off in the direction of the disappeared crime fighter. Since he found himself in Gotham his life has been a series of unanswered questions.

Who he really was? What was he doing here? Where did he come from? Why can't he remember? He did his best not to think about it but Ravage's comment had brought it all back to him.

"Hey Pete, you all right?"

In spite of how he truly feels, he nods and forces a smile. "Yeah... let's see if Alfie's made lunch yet..."

**-Metropolis Plaza, 103rd floor-**

"Did she see you?"

The woman named Lyta Milton lowers her head in shame before answering. "Yes... I think so... but I didn't anticipate her being there father!"

In front of his daughter and in the absence of Vandal Savage, Ares has dropped his disguise, assuming his normal form. The one he wore when he fathered the child before him. "It cannot be helped..." He growls irritated. He had wanted to keep his daughters presence hidden until much later, but nothing can be done about it now.

"Will she...?"

Ares smiles sinisterly. "Yes... I'm positive Diana will be in contact with your mother very soon..."

_**A/N: Next, Nightwing returns with a new ally, Joker assembles his very own Wrecking Crew and Wonder Woman and Spiderman both receive unwanted visits!**_


	10. Plans of Bats and Men

_**A/N: So there has been a ton of people following the story and I gotta thank you guys! I hope everyone is enjoying where I'm taking the story, things are going to get intense soon! **_

**-Watchtower, Conference room-**

"… The incident at the Charity Event is the first piece in the puzzle…"

Batman stands in front of the assembled founding members; Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter. Along with Nightwing and Spiderman.

"I bet you its **killing **Drake he didn't get invited to the big boy table…" Spiderman whispers to Nightwing. When he got the call that he was needed on the Watchtower, Peter never imagined it would be to sit among the legends.

He'd met all of them before, but this was different. Today he felt like an equal.

Nightwing smiles at Peter and leans in close to him. "And I **bet** that you'll **never** be invited back if Batman catches you talking during his briefing…"

"During that attempted robbery," Batman continues. "There were two elements that have a bearing on the situation we find ourselves in today. The first being the Joker who was present that night was a mechanical copy." They all knew this of course, having seen the dissected copy in the Watchtower lab. "The design is too sophisticated to come from anyone Joker has connections with. There were also incorporations of Kryptonian and Wayne Tech components. The Kryptonian tech was likely taken from Cadmus Labs."

That they did not know.

No one outside of Superman, Batman and J'onn knew that. The revelation brought forth murmuring and a question.

"Who could get a hold of that tech?" Nightwing asks. He knew something about the security at most of the facilities that Bruce held and knew that they were nothing short of impregnable. And the security at Cadmus was nothing to sneeze at either.

There's a twinge of anger along Batman's jaw as he answers. "That, **I will** find out." Any other questions die with that firm pronouncement. Everyone knew not to press the issue. Peter looked around the table amazed at the respect and fear that Batman commanded among men and women who could bench press fire trucks. "I reached out to the one person I know who has the intellect and workspace to accomplish such a fusion-"

"Toyman." Superman finishes with a smirk.

"Winslow or the pervert?" Hawkgirl asks with a look of disgust. Nearly **every** female member of the Justice League knew of Hiro Okamura and they are not particularly fond of his open leering.

"…Hiro was helpful in narrowing down three suspects that we can follow up on. There are only three other people with the ability to design and create what I encountered at Arkham. They are: Adam Davies, Kristen Donaldson and Will Magnus-"

"**Doctor** **Magnus**? Are you certain?" J'onn asks. He is known as the creator of the Metal men and despite his short-lived time as a villain, is for the most part benevolent.

"These are only individuals who would be able to **accomplish** the feat, guilt or innocence doesn't figure into it. **Yet**."

Peter supposed that was true. Someone could have easily created the synthetic beings, only to have their vision twisted out of their control. In the case of Magnus, they would be the next step from his Metal Men design.

"Who's going to follow up on these **"leads" **of yours?" Diana asks. There is a cutting tone to her voice that does not go unnoticed. It leads to more than a few sideways glances, but Batman doesn't respond to it.

"I will be assigning each potential to someone, with myself and Superman taking Magnus. We have history with him and it's likely he'll be more forthcoming with us."

"You expect him to just come out and admit he's guilty?"

"No, Lantern, I'm not operating under** any** assumptions at this point. The original creation of these automatons could have been benign, despite the eventual application of them. Or there could be a yet unknown third party who made modifications after the fact. This is just where the investigation **begins**, not necessarily where it **ends**. The other factor from that robbery was the mind control..."

"I did a complete sweep of several of the attendees' minds; there were **no** traces of manipulation…"

"You wouldn't have picked up on it J'onn." Batman answers. "It wasn't until later that I discovered that the influence was chemical based. The wine was laced with it. It's a compound specifically engineered to lie dormant within the body until an instance of an adrenal surge. Its affects on the serotonin levels in the body are short lived, lasting only an average of twenty minutes, but they are potent. There was obviously some key word or phrase that when uttered would give the speaker control over the motor functions of those under the influence. I developed a counter agent to the drug, although it's unlikely they'll use it again."

"Why not? It was so effective before."

A very subtle grin flashes across Batman's face. "Because, Flash, they'll know, **that I know**."

"Do we know who would be able to concoct something so specific?" Spiderman asks. It sounded to him like something from Ivy's storehouse, but he wasn't sure if she could put something like that together. The level of biochemistry knowledge needed exceeded what she had been previously capable of.

"I have… a theory on that… but I need to follow up on it." Peter knows that what Batman really means is; _**"I know exactly who it is, but I'm planning on taking them down myself."**_ Nightwing and Peter share a knowing smile. "These events may seem unrelated to those in Star City and Metropolis the other day, but I do believe they are linked."

"Why?" Superman still looks a little weak, but it's amazing that he's alive at all. A spell was cast on him to make his body feed off of itself at a ravenous pace. It was only because of the solar chamber aboard the Watchtower and the intervention of Dr. Fate that his body didn't burn up due to the strain.

"The charity robbery was a distraction for a theft at Wayne Pharmaceuticals,"

Peter turns three shades of red under his new modified mask. That night is the reason he went from a cowl like Batman, to a full face mask. That and the fact he thought it gave him an even more menacing look.

"The destruction in Star City masked the Metropolis theft. The timing of each was perfect, as was the preparation for both. They know us; they know the way we think. Metropolis is Superman's home, knowing that, they were prepared to stop **him**." Superman shifts slightly in his seat. "We may know the players involved but we don't know the game being played yet, which is why we go back to the start."

Everyone sat in silence considering his words.

The fact that a plot like this could have been formulated under the collective noses of the world's mightiest heroes didn't sit well with any of them.

"How does Ares figure into this scheme?" Diana asks and again Peter notices the hard edge to her tone. He had thought that he could speak to her today about the girl who helped Savage, but the way she was acting she might throw him through the nearest wall if he said hello.

"I would imagine you would have more insight into that then I would, **Princess**."

The blush on Diana's face is clear, but it's not from embarrassment; it's from anger. "He serves destruction and chaos; he lives only for conflict because it fuels him. It's reasonable that he is involved simply because of that fact..." Nightwing looked at Peter and he could tell they both were thinking the same thing.

She was hiding something.

"But why now Diana?" Hawkgirl asks, placing her headdress on the table to look at the Amazonian. "Is there something significant that's happened or some reason for him to decide to ally himself with Savage-"

"I don't know!" Her outburst is so strong that even Batman seems surprised. She quickly regains her composure. "I will consult my people to find out if there is any significance to his reappearance…"

Hawkgirl nods and all eyes in the room avoid Diana's. Superman stands from his seat.

"Well then, I'm sure Batman will keep us updated on the progress of the investigation, until then I suggest that this meeting be confined to those in this room." Superman announces making eye contact with everyone in the room. "If Batman has nothing else to convey…" Batman gives a curt shake of his head. "Then we can consider this meeting adjourned. Nightwing, Spiderman please stay behind a moment."

As the rest of the Leaguers leave the room, Peter turns to two men largely considered to be the most powerful men on the planet, but for completely different reasons.

He feels both proud that he's been included in their circle and afraid of what they could possibly want of him.

Superman begins. "I'm sure you're curious as to why we've asked you to stay-"

"You want us to locate and interact with the first two geniuses on the list. Determine if they are viable suspects." Nightwing states definitively, as surprise lights up Superman's face. "Considering my work schedule **and** my League schedule I don't see how I possibly could-"

"I've taken that into consideration and your target lives in Bludhaven. About six miles from your… day job…" Batman assures with a wry smile. "Speaking of which, we need to have a talk concerning the additional help you've been receiving lately..."

"Actually I don't think we do..." Nightwing replies curtly. Dick had filled Peter in about the masked vigilante named Huntress that had recently made Bludhaven her home. As far as Peter was concerned it was pretty awesome to have a partner who actually looked good in skin tight leggings. But they both knew Bruce would not approve.

"Then think again." Batman adds, leaving no doubt that there will be a discussion at some point soon.

"Eh… What about me boss?" Spiderman asks in his best Bugs Bunny voice, trying to break the tension in the room.

"You will attend a lecture Friday night-"

"Just how a teenager wants to spend his Friday night…" Nightwing quips.

"…being given by Professor Ray Palmer on Kirchhoff's Law," Batman continues undaunted "… your target has not missed a single part of the three part lecture series."

"Uh... sure... sounds... fine... I guess..." Peter attempts to hide his excitement, but it bubbles out in the form of several flips and somersaults.

Watching him bounce about the room, Superman leans into Batman's ear. "Uh… Bruce…?"

"Science geek." Nightwing answers plainly earning a slight smile from Batman.

**-Wonder Woman's quarters, later- **

"Curse the very mother that birthed you!" Wonder Woman screams at the top of her lungs to her empty room, punching the wall. She manages to dent the extremely durable material causing the station to rock ever so slightly.

She wasn't sure what angered her more; Batman's smugness or Ares involvement in harming her friends.

"I hope that wasn't directed at **me**, Princess..."

Diana whirls at the voice. There was a time his voice did things to her. Things she hadn't felt until leaving the island. Lately it just seemed to anger her.

"You may have paid for this facility, but that does **not** give you free reign. Please leave my quarters." Diana states, summoning the strength to meet his gaze. She couldn't see is eyes while he wore the cowl, but she could feel them on her.

"Come now, Diana..." Batman steps into her room removing his cowl. "All these protests about me invading your space... when this is **exactly** what you want." His blue eyes flash with an intensity that causes her to stutter. It doesn't escape her notice that he has closed the door behind him.

His coal black hair looks unruly and mused, giving him a disheveled look she'd never seen on him before. She notes his angular jaw has a days worth of stubble, adding to his manly appearance.

"Y- you're wrong..." Batman continues to close the distance between them until he is looking down at her with a small smile on his face.

"Diana, we both know..." His gloved hand gingerly cups her chin, lifting it slightly. She unable to control the fact that her own lips part, or that her eyes close slightly. "I'm **never** wrong..." He holds her face in place a moment, seeming to savor the confusion and desire in her eyes.

Then their lips meet.

It is Diana's first romantic kiss, but she cannot enjoy it.

Anger wells up in her as she grabs Batman by the throat and lifts him in the air.

"You may be able to mask your appearance, but you cannot fake his lips!"

"If I had- ungh- known you were so familiar with them... I would have... used a stronger incantation..." In her grip Batman's form melts into smoke, reforming in the corner of the room to that of:

"Circe!"

"Well, well, perhaps the Princess is not quite as** virginal** as the stories would have us believe."

She had never kissed Batman before, but she knew enough about the world of men to know the difference between the lips of a woman and that of a man.

"You're the one who conceived a child with the personification of evil itself..." Diana feels a bit of satisfaction at seeing the sorceress hang her head. Diana is using anger to disguise her conflicted feelings. She'd made the decision to leave things alone concerning Bruce, but even a copy of the man was enough to drive her to distraction. Clearly her heart was not in agreement with her brain. "Your child not only attempted to kill a good friend of mine, but is also apparently allied herself with Vandal Savage. A man who is even more vile and sadistic than her father."

"Lyta is... misguided... I need your help in getting her off the path she's currently on..." There is a pleading quality to her voice that Diana is not used to hearing, but she remains unmoved.

"And this is how you request my aid? Deception? Just how far were you prepared to go?" Diana allows a sickening shudder to escape her at the thought.

"I don't think you want me to answer that question, Diana." Circe makes herself comfortable on Diana's bed, making Wonder Woman very **uncomfortable** in the process. "I think you **want to know** what Ares is up to and what role my daughter plays in his plan..."

Diana crosses her arms and studies her old foe.

Circe has been trying to kill Diana since she was born, so of course there is no reason for Wonder Woman to trust her. "And you just **decided** to come here and make nice with the woman who you want to see dead?"

Circe sighs, stretching. "I still plan on killing you, but it will be on my terms, at a time of my choosing. This is not the time to be focused on **my **desires."

**-Watchtower Cafeteria-**

"You got to feel up Wonder Woman? I need details, Spiderman, de-tails!"

Peter has only spent five minutes talking to Flash and he already feels like a mistake. Nightwing had thought it hilarious to relate the strange experience in the cave to Flash on the way to the cafeteria. Flash has been pestering him about it for the last few minutes.

"Uh… I mean there isn't much to tell… it was an accident…" Peter stammers setting his tray down on a table and taking a seat. Thankfully no one knew about how sensitive his hands were or Flash would have been **really** pressing him for details. Thanks to his abilities his hands and feet were both quick to detect and respond to anything they came in contact with.

Anything.

"Rookies…" Flash chastises before finishing his food at light speed. "Well, catch you guys later…" He speeds off leaving Nightwing and Spiderman alone.

"You could have given him details if you wanted to…" Nightwing offers, twirling his pasta on his fork. "We both know that your hands probably told you **everything** he wanted to know about the feel and texture…"

Peter nearly choked on his chicken salad. "Wha?"

"Spiders need to be able to walk on their webs without getting stuck. It stands to reason that you would have increased sensation conduction in your finger tips… probably feet too..." Dick shrugs and continues eating.

Bruce was a detective, but he never really let you in on what he was thinking. Tim was just as intelligent, but like Batman he played things close to the vest. Dick though, he let you know **exactly** what he was thinking whether you asked or not. But he didn't do it to be a jerk, Peter suspected that coming from the type of family he came from, full disclosure was not only expected, but rewarded.

In the flying trapeze business, trust is everything and there were no secrets.

"You're kinda freaky, bro, you know that right?" Peter asks laughing, trying to deflect his own embarrassment. He did in fact have intimate details about Wonder Woman's anatomy, as well as Batgirl's.

_**I wonder how you'd feel about that little fact...?**_

"Yes **Pot**, the **Kettle** figured that out all on his own…" Dick responds, pointing at Peter's mask. "You plan on eating like that?"

Peter had lifted the mask just above his nose and had a forkful of food poised at the ready. "You still have yours on…" Peter had not been formerly introduced to Gotham in any civilian capacity yet. Bruce wanted Spiderman to have a well-established identity both in Gotham and in the hero community before bringing out Peter. So Peter was still keeping the reigns of his identity pretty well in check.

The Titans could be trusted only because Batman had thoroughly vetted every member and even they didn't know much about him outside of his name. That and the fact he'd been trained by Batman.

"I guess that's true… What made you change the design?"

Peter lowers his head and continues eating. "No reason…"

"You know, Ivy's gas can penetrate those fibers too. The only protection against it would be a gas mask…"

"Quit doing that!"

**-Watchtower control room-**

"… tactically it makes no sense... I just don't see what Savage could be expecting to gain from it. Ares ain't exactly the type to share."

"Savage knows that, so he must have his own failsafe, GL." Batman answers imputing coordinates into the control panel. Batman knows that figuring out the endgame for all parties involved is the key to stopping them from getting there.

"You got a way of finding out what that is?" Green Lantern folds his arms looking at Batman. His ring pulses letting him know he needs to recharge soon.

"Believe me; I'm working on it…" Batman responds, glancing over his shoulder to look at Lantern. "Better charge that before it gets really low…"

"Yeah…" John twists the ring absently. He often wondered what a man like Batman would do with the most powerful weapon in the universe. There were times when he felt he could be doing more than simply reacting to dangers. "You hangin' up here for a while?"

John never really felt like he fit in here.

The League was a little too undisciplined in their approach for his taste, being an ex-Marine and now a part of the Lantern Corp, he favored a more structured approach. Batman, in his opinion gave the League the focus it needed.

And though he'd never admit, he enjoyed his company as well.

"Can't. Need to follow up on the Arkham escapees, the longer their out on the streets, the more the people of Gotham suffer." Without another word he walks over to the teleporters.

Nothing came before his duty; John Stewart could respect that.

"Batman? A word?"

"Every time I try to leave…" Batman mutters, he is really anxious to get back to the city. Of the verified missing from Arkham was a veritable who's who of insane villainy: Ivy, Quinn, Prometheus, Black Mask and Bane. Not to mention Joker. Bruce was curious as to why heavy hitters like Croc and Blockbuster were left behind. Schemers like Scarecrow and Riddler were also left off the list.

"Can you join me in the Conference Room?" Superman asks, but even Batman can tell that it's not a question. Curiosity getting the better of him, he joins Clark in the empty room.

Superman is silent for a beat, before speaking. "I'm not exactly sure how to broach this subject…"

"The direct approach would be preferred, Clark."

Clark nods and takes a seat, Batman continues to stand. "You know my weaknesses better than anyone in the League, Bruce. You know how to stop me if I ever became compromised in any way. You've got fail safes on top of fail safes for that situation..."

Batman nods, wondering where this is going.

"And even though you're no longer an active member, you put the League together as a deterrent to extraterrestrial threats. But there is apparently **one** situation you don't have a contingency for…" A small smile plays on the lips of Superman and Batman realizes what this conversation is truly about.

"If you are referring to what **I think you** **are**, then don't. There is **nothing** to talk about on that front."

"Today's meeting would suggest otherwise…" Superman offers with a smirk. Superman may be the only one on the Watchtower, with the exception of Nightwing, that doesn't have a healthy fear of Batman. That has more to do with knowing Bruce better than most.

He knows that for all of his issues, at his core, Batman is a good man.

He also knows that Batman's incredible mind can at times work against him.

"That had less to do with me and more to do with Ares…" Although the statement felt true to Bruce, he wonders if it was really as simple as that. "Any confusion or problems between me and Diana have been squared away." Diana was angry when they last spoke, but he knew she would get over it. In time she would forget she ever even looked at him in that way.

He just had to be sure that was what he wanted.

"Bruce," Superman stands and walks over to the man he's called friend for more than a few years. "I know you're concerned about what it could mean… what could happen if you and Diana were to… explore your feelings-"

"If you know my concerns, then you should also know they are valid." Batman interrupts, his voice carrying an edge to it. These were not things he liked to discuss, especially not under these circumstances.

"I won't deny that…" Superman nods agreeing. "In my darker moments I think about all the ways my enemies could harm… those close to me… if they ever found out who I was…" A dark mood clouds Clark's face. "I talked myself out of pursuing Lois a million times before actually asking her out…"

"You sure that didn't have anything to do with the **Farm Boy** pretense you always keep up?" Bruce allows the ghost of a smile to cross his lips and Superman chuckles.

"Unlike the billionaire playboy disguise you wear, Clark Kent is who **I am**; Bruce Wayne is who you** play**. But don't change the subject." Superman regains his composure to look at Batman. "You could miss out on something amazing, simply out of playing it safe."

"I'm not playing it safe, I'm playing it smart." Batman counters. "If something **were** to happen with Diana and I there are only really **two** possible outcomes. The first being that it's an unmitigated disaster and we enjoy an ugly break up, while having to continue to work together. The second being I get killed and she ends up heartbroken."

"Those are two pretty bleak outcomes…"

"I know who I am Clark, but most importantly I know who I am not. I'm defined by the moment I lost my parents. I don't do attachments well, ask Dick. Ask Alfred... and in a few years; ask Tim. So believe me, I'm doing us both a favor here. One she'll come to appreciate later…" Batman turns to leave, considering the discussion over, until he feels Superman's arm on his shoulder.

"Just one second Bruce… how long did you train to become Batman?"

Clark knows the answer to this better than most, but out of curiosity Batman answers. "The better part of a decade… why?"

"It just seems to me, that when something is **important **to you, you put the effort into it. And you **succeed**. What makes this any different?"

For once, Batman has no answer.

"Tomorrow, we pay Magnus a visit..."

Superman, feeling like he may have gotten through to Bruce somewhat decides to let him off the hook. "You buying Hiro's claim of non-involvement?"

"Not in the slightest," Batman answers with a knowing smile. "But it can't hurt to find out about the people he pointed me to... can never have too many geniuses in the fold..."

Batman leaves the conference room, heading back to the transporters. Superman watches him leave.

"Sez you..."

**-Teen Titan HQ-**

"...Using a mass of white dwarf star matter that he found after it landed on Earth, Ray Palmer is able to fashion a lens that enables him to shrink any object to any degree he wishes-"

"Parker!" Ravage yells nearly tagging Peter with a bo staff. "Do I seem like the type of girl who is impressed by Wikipedia snippets about some Ivy University Professor?"

"You must be," Peter retorts sweeping her leg and pouncing on her with tremendous speed. "How else would you know what college he taught at?" Pinning her arms over her head with one arm, he plants his forearm in her throat.

Amidst her struggles to get free, she answers. "I've studied** everyone** my father has planned to kill..."

"That's **not at all** creepy..."

"By the way," Ravage still unable to free herself from his grip, tries another tactic. "I like the new mask, I think it makes you look dark and mysterious... and sexy."

"You do?" His grip loosens slightly.

"Yeah..." Ravage relaxes her struggles. "...since it covers up that face of yours!" Using every bit of her strength she manages to unbalance him, or so she thinks as she springs to her feet. He simply allows her to stand so that he can lock her in a sleeper hold.

"Please tell me you really didn't try to use the old seductress routine on me... if so your technique needs work..." Her backside is pressed hard against him, but he doesn't allow himself to react. Now that Ivy's toxin is completely out of his system he's feeling more in control of his reactions. "Now be a good little girl and tap out."

After thrashing for several more minutes, she finally relents and taps his arm. He releases her warily as she drops to the floor gasping.

"Why'd you take so long to tap out Rose?" Spiderman asks angrily. He didn't like the idea of hurting his teammates, especially when it was completely unnecessary.

"Wanted... to see... if you had the stones to keep... the hold..." Rose gasps out. The two of them had been working out for the better part of an hour but she managed to keep up with him the whole time. He had superhuman stamina to help him out, but Rose kept pace without his advantages.

Peter helps her to her feet. "There are easier ways to test my resolve..." He found her very attractive and something about her... struck a familiar chord with him. He wondered if it could have been something from before.

But every time he tried pulling on a fragment like this it just unraveled in his mind into nothing.

Picking up on his distraction, Ravage targets a roundhouse kick to his head, but Peter grabs her leg before it makes connection. He stands there, holding it in the air. "None would have been as fun as this..."

"Lady... you and I have **completely different** ideas about what's **fun**..." Even with him holding her leg at this angle, she still keeps her balance perfect. Peter can't help but be impressed. "Are you going to play nice, if I let you go?"

Rose smiles radiantly. "Of course not."

Peter's spider sense screams out a warning as she swings her other leg at his head, using his grip as an anchor. Afraid of harming her, he releases the leg and twists to the side to avoid the blow. She uses the momentum to position herself above him.

She's now sitting squarely on his chest, her thighs on either side of his head. "See, Spidey? Fun." She licks her lips before pulling a small blade from her sleeve and positioning it at his neck. "Now: you tap out."

Thrusting his upper body forward with all his might he sends Rose into the air. Before she can recover he webs her, spread eagle to the wall. Her face is red with anger at the turn of events.

"Sometimes it's a tactical advantage, to let your opponent think you're at a disadvantage..." Peter gloats, walking over to the helpless Rose.

"Get this crap offame!"

Peter wags a judgemental finger at Rose. "Now, now, crazy lady. In nature, if you're caught in a spiders' web; there is only one way out..." He takes off his mask and bares his teeth menacingly.

"What? You plan on eating me?" Rose asks laughing.

"Why not?" Peter asks with a lustful grin. I'm sure you taste **delicious**..."

Rose turns even redder at the not too subtle innuendo. "You... wouldn't..."

"I would..." Peter places his hand at the top of her uniform. "And will..." with a strong jerk he rips her clothes completely off of her. He greedily takes in her naked form.

She's built like a gymnast. Her breasts, perky and firm stare at him tauntingly, the dark areolas look equally inviting. For some reason he's pleased to find her platinum blonde locks are not manufactured, evidenced by the well-kept area below her taut stomach.

"See something you like...?"

"Oh... yes..." Disrobing just as quickly he presses his body to hers and they kiss. He can feel her nipples hardening against his chest, causing a similar condition for him below his waist. She breaks the kiss to whisper in his ear:

"Does Mary Jane know about your jones for silver haired women?"

**-Peter's room, Wayne Manor-**

"Ahhhh!" Peter awakes with a start to the early morning sunrise. He anxiously looks over to the other side of his bed, relieved to not see a naked Rose Wilson. "It was just a dream... a very enjoyable dream... but just a product of my teenage subconscious..."

"Dreams can sometimes be the precursor to reality..."

With incredible speed Peter leaps to the ceiling. Sticking there he looks down at an ethereal form garbed in green and white. "If I'm still dreaming, then I have some serious issues to work out..."

"You are not, Peter..."

"I'm not Peter? Then who am I? Who are you? Don't tell me you're my father, because despite my obvious geek cred, not a big fan of the 'Wars..."

The omnipotent force of vengeance shows the slightest signs of impatience. "Your humor allows you to cope well with adversity; however it has no place here."

_**Kinda comes with the package there buddy...**_

"Okay then, tell me who you are and why you're in my bedroom..."

**-Joker's hideout-**

"C'mon, wolfs**Bane**, **Bane** of my existence, Sugar **Bane** Mosley, Pinky and the **Bane**, show a little gratitude huh?"

"My gratitude, is evident in the fact that you are still breathing without the assistance of medical equipment..." Bane hadn't wanted to throw in with Joker, but when the man approached him with a surefire way out of Arkham and a chance to get back to his supply of venom, he couldn't refuse. Still, the man was insane and any scheme he crafted was sure to end them all right back in Arkham.

"Hey, I don't like the idea of throwing in with the clown either, but he did spring us from that chicken coop."

"Thanks Skeletor!" Joker quips, earning him a glare from Black Mask. "Yeesh, guess references to dated eighties cartoons are lost on this crowd..."

"Look," Prometheus interjects. "Bottom line is all of us hate your guts and wouldn't hesitate to hang you with your own entrails, but you did got us our freedom. That buys you **five minutes**."

"Then I'll be brief," Joker answers turning deadly serious. "We're going to kill every member of the Justice League and then party like its 1992!"

The three men are all silent for a moment and Ivy, watching from a distance wonders what their reaction will be. When laughter fills the room, she smiles.

She told Joker they would laugh in his face, that they would need proof of his claims.

Joker, enraged that Ivy was right, yells: "Harleeeeeeeesss! Bring 'er in!"

All three men, though still snickering turn in the direction Joker is looking. The first thing they see are two Harley Quinn's dragging a sack along the floor, which is enough to get their attention.

"Two Quinn's?" Black Mask mutters looking at the other two men. They now have an idea of how Joker had been able to free them.

But when one of the Harley's tore open the sack to reveal a broken and bloodied heroine, the silence was deafening.

"Is that-?"

"It can't be..."

"I present to you... gift wrapped in her golden lasso... Wonder Woman!"

_**A/N: Next: Introductions, seductions and abductions!**_


	11. Abductions, Introductions and Seduction

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay people, my thumb drive with all my writing stopped working. After moping for three weeks, and sulking for another two I took it apart, soldered the leads and managed to recover everything! Then Sandy hit... ugh... but now things will pick back up again!**_

_**Big thanks to HaywireEagle who advised me to work on the pacing of my story and that it feels a little rushed at times, so I'm going to work on that going forward. I'm going to start setting a timeline in the story to make it a little easier to follow and make the story flow more fluidly. **_

_**I appreciate feedback like this people, keep it coming!**_

_**And I am overwhelmed by the support of new readers! I'll have to make sure I don't disappoint! Thanks to all the favoriters out there! (Not a word I know!)**_

**-Watchtower, Diana's room, 8 hours ago-**

"Do you really expect me to trust you?" Diana asks angrily. She should call the others into her room, let them know what is going on, but there's no telling the kind of havoc that might cause. Of all her enemies, Circe has proven to be the most confounding.

She's vacillated between being an enemy to a reluctant ally before. It makes sense in a strange way since it is really Diana's mother that Circe truly hates.

Circe stands from Diana's bed and approaches the Amazon. Diana takes a step back to ready herself, but suddenly feels very light-headed. "Of course not…"

The light-headedness progresses quickly to all out nausea and realization dawns on Wonder Woman. "You-!" Diana drives Circe hard against a wall by her shoulders. The sinister smile never fades from her face as she calmly peels Diana's hands from off her. Diana looks on, amazed she is unable to keep her grip on the witch.

With blinding speed, Circe backhands Diana clear across the room. Disbelief is written on Diana's face as she notes that not only is she bleeding but that Circe was the cause of it. She opens her mouth to speak, but finds she is unable to do anything but look up at her attacker confused.

"It's a powerful paralytic adapted from the petals of the Crotus flower… you remember that flower don't you?"

Diana did indeed remember, even if she was unable to answer directly.

She had come in contact with them as a youth, exploring her home island of Themyscira. Having never before experienced weakness or fatigue, she panicked and ran straight to her mother. Hippolyta explained to her the flowers were there to be used for a very special ceremony, one that she would tell Diana about when she was older. She had her suspicions as to what that meant, but to this day her mother had not explained further.

Back then they had made her feel weak and dizzy, but the effects today were far more potent. Right now Diana cannot move, cannot speak, can barely even form a thought. It took all her effort just to continue to take air in and out of her body.

"I made some modifications of course, there are some among these mortals who have... usefulness... under the right conditions... " Circe answers Diana's unasked question, as she walks over to her. Diana uselessly struggles to escape Circe's approach which causes the sorceress to chuckle. "Ever the fighter, eh, Princess?" Circe's expression turns dark. "I always hated that about you!"

Without warning Circe's begins punching Diana as hard as she can. Diana cannot even flinch as Circe delivers blow after blow. Soon the blood is flowing freely from Diana's face, but her eyes have lost none of their defiance.

Circe steps back, admiring her work as Diana lies helplessly against the wall. "There. That should leave your beloved teammates enough to stir them into a frenzy..." Diana cannot mask her confusion at her statement; she doesn't understand why Circe would **seek** the wrath of the League. Diana doesn't have time to wonder long, as Circe unfastens a certain golden lasso from her hip. "Okay your highness; I need to deliver you to a madman, so be a good girl and hold still while I tie you up."

**-Bludhaven, July 12th, 5:26AM-**

"That the guy you're supposed to be checking up on?"

"Yup." Nightwing answers, keeping his eyes on the middle-aged man opening his car door. So far Adam Davies has kept to a pretty strict routine, an incredibly boring and predictable one. In Dick's opinion this meant that he had to be involved in some dirt; **no one** was this clean.

He works in the Information Technology department of a local cellular company, a job **well below** his capabilities. An M.I.T. Graduate working in a call center doing server upkeep is almost as preposterous as a billionaire playboy spending his nights beating criminals senseless.

"You said you got this guys' routine down pretty well, do you really need to keep watching him?" The woman who calls herself Huntress asks. She had been joining him on his patrols recently and although he enjoyed the company, he found her to be much more talkative than he would have thought. Barbara almost never said anything when she would join him, but then, she was also schooled by the king of silence.

"Yup." Nightwing watches Davies pull away from his two story walk up, driving straight down third. From there he would head to the highway entrance and spend an hour weaving through early morning traffic. Not that there was much at this time of day.

"C'mon, Nightwing…" Huntress closes the distance between them, taking the binoculars from him. In her boots she is almost at eye level with the hero, a fact she uses to her advantage as she stands in front him. "There are much **better** things to do with your time than follow Mr. Rodgers around his neighborhood…" The subtle suggestion is not lost on Nightwing, nor is the closeness of her body to his.

She had been dropping hints for the last few weeks and it seemed that for all his intelligence that Nightwing was as thick as the Kevlar weave of his uniform.

"It's Mr. **Davies**, but I would like to hear your alternative plans for Nightwing…"

Huntress immediately moves into a fighting stance when she hears the intrusive voice, but Nightwing just sighs and turns. "Batman…"

"Nightwing…"

"Huntress, allow me to introduce you to Batman. Gotham City's protector... Batman? Huntress."

Huntress looks back between the two men and when she notes that there doesn't seem to be the imminent threat of a fight she finds her voice. "A little far from home, ain't cha?" There were rumors and whispers that Nightwing had once been Robin, the Batman's partner, for Huntress this confirmed things. They regarded one another with a familiarity that only came with working together.

Batman turns in her direction and glares at her. "I would think you should be getting home yourself. You have an early class to teach this morning and I don't think you want to have to come up with another excuse to Principal Finch…"

Huntress stands with her mouth agape, turning to Nightwing for an explanation. She hadn't even told **him** about her day job, how did Batman know so much? And perhaps, more importantly as far as she was concerned; what **else** did he know?

Nightwing shrugs at her expression. "World's greatest detective** isn't** an empty platitude…"

She recovers herself, giving Nightwing a kiss on the cheek. "I'll leave you to it then, before he gives you my cup size…" She is disappointed that their night was cut short. Nightwing had been a tremendous help in her quest to bring down Vincente, not to mention that she thought he was ridiculously hot. So far they'd only done some mild flirting, with her taking the lead in that. She had hoped tonight to progress to something more.

Huntress sighs at the lost opportunity before she dives off the side of the roof with ease, leaving the two men to face off.

The two stare at each other for a beat, both likely waiting until they're sure the vigilante is out of listening range.

"34 C, but I'm sure you know that already…" Batman smirks slightly breaking the silence. Once he'd heard from his contacts that Nightwing had been seen about town with a purple clad female with a penchant for crossbows, Batman immediately found out everything he could about her.

He didn't like what he found.

She showed none of the restraint that his former ward did; often leaving her opponents with permanent injuries and if the rumors were true, taking a few lives. He came here tonight to bring her to justice, but didn't anticipate finding the two of them together. Taking her on patrol with him meant that Nightwing had revealed quite a bit about himself to Huntress.

"Out of respect for you, I held myself in check in front of Huntress, but you have no right to be **here**." Nightwing bristles outwardly. Batman was extremely territorial when it came to Gotham and the same was true of Nightwing when it came to Bludhaven. The only hero visits he allowed were of the non-costumed variety.

"Actually, I think that's my line. Huntress is-"

"Considering the compromising situations you've been in with a certain _**pretty kitty**_… I don't believe you're in a position to advise me…" Nightwing growls angrily.

Batman's jaw tightens slightly at his comment, but his voice remains impassive. "I would never take **her **out on patrol with me. Or allow her to interfere with the mission, while you have let Davies slip-"

Nightwing silences him holding up a small handheld device. "Put a tracker on him the first day I began tailing him…. A certain set of autonomous satellites keep me aware of his bowel movements, let alone his location. When are you gonna quit treating me like a child?"

While it was true that Nightwing had grown into a capable man and hero, Batman still felt that Dick struck out on his own too early. That there was still much more that he could show the young hero. But their relationship had been strained as of late.

Nightwing didn't agree with Batman's decision to go to reserve status in the League. And he definitely didn't like the fact that Bruce had recommended him for full time status. "What makes you so sure she can be trusted?" Batman asks not addressing Nightwing's question.

"Unlike you, I'm willing to give her the chance to actually **earn it**." Dick counters. Though both men had suffered the unspeakable horror of watching their parents die in front of their eyes, they both handled it differently.

Dick saw the value of cherishing those important to him, because they can be taken at any moment. Batman kept people at a distance to protect his damaged heart from further pain. It was why his dedication to his mission often bordered on fanaticism. Why those who cared about him the most were often frustrated and angry with his behavior.

_**He never let you in**_, not completely.

The same thing that drove him to train himself to the peak of physical prowess; that pushed him to the point of exhaustion and made him an amazingly effective crime fighter, was the very thing that hampered him from developing real connections with anyone. Dick, Barbara, Alfred and Tim had all tried to reach behind the rage and they all failed.

"That approach will inevitably lead to disappointment..." Batman turns activating a device in his glove. In the alley below them, a cycle powers up and Batman turns back to Nightwing handing him a small thumb drive. "Files on Huntress... review them... Next time I am in this city, my conversation with her will go _**much differently**_..."

Nightwing eyes the drive for a moment before dropping it to the rooftop floor and crunching it with a boot. "Tell me something... do you trust any of us? I mean really trust us?" He knew Huntress' past. He was hoping to help her to make something more of her _**present**_, a fact he wished he could explain to his surrogate father.

Batman turns away from Nightwing again, this time heading to the ledge. Nightwing is sure he will get no answer to his question.

**-Gotham City, July 12th, 8:26AM-**

"_**You are here for a reason..."**_

Those words still angered Peter, hours later.

The man- the force of nature- The Spectre, announced to Peter that he had brought him here from another place.

_**For a reason.**_

Spectre, however, offered no additional information. Was he taken from another time? Another dimension? Another planet? Peter's questions fell on deaf ears.

When Peter asked about his memory loss, the only answer he received was: _**"It is necessary."**_

When he inquired about his abilities, he told him: _**"They are a part of you."**_

When Peter, out of frustration and anger swung at him with all his might, he vanished.

Leaving Peter to wonder why the man had bothered to show up in the first place. Not knowing the answers to the questions that had been plaguing him since waking up in a Gotham Cemetery was bad enough. But knowing there was someone out there who had the **answers **he sought, but refused to give them, was worse.

Waking up in a strange city with no memory of **where** he was, let alone **who** he was, wasn't an experience he'd wish on anyone. For the first few days he cried himself to sleep out of frustration and despair.

But he had moved past all that.

At least he thought he had until this morning. By all accounts, he had been doing fine adjusting to this new life. Of course there were times when he lamented his situation, but those instances were becoming less and less frequent.

Being a member of the Teen Titans allowed him to not only help people, but to interact with teenagers who could relate to his unique situation. A kid with memory loss and spider abilities was practically boring compared to aliens and green shape changers. Even his civilian identity of Peter Harrison, Gotham Academy student, had been going well. He enjoyed the teachers and most of his classes were challenging enough to keep his interest.

There were far worse things that could have happened to him on the streets of Gotham, than to be taken in by a billionaire who moon lights as a vigilante. During his time on Baker Avenue, he'd seen just a glimpse of the evil in this world and it was more than enough to keep him awake nights. It was also a key catalyst in him taking up the mantle of Spiderman.

Now though, he couldn't help but wonder how much of his experiences the last few months had been orchestrated by the man in green and white. Did he really desire to help people in need; or had that merely been an implantation of the Spectre? His creativity, his intelligence, everything about him, was it all simply conjured out of thin air to serve some greater purpose. Peter knew from Batman's files that The Spectre was all but omnipotent; so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

For all he knew, The Spectre took some ordinary guy, gave him some powers and amnesia just to see what would happen.

He'd been going round and round all morning until he'd finally reached his breaking point.

So, even though he was supposed to be at school, he took his cycle for a drive, sneaking past the watchful eye of Alfred. He dressed in full gear, figuring he was less likely to be stopped as Spiderman than Peter. Although he did have license to operate his cycle, thanks to Batman's manipulation of the motor vehicle department's database, he didn't plan on obeying the speed limit.

When people saw a costumed vigilante speeding through the streets, they always figured that they were off to save the city or something. Nobody wanted to be the one who kept a superhero from saving the mayor from the Riddler just to give him a speeding ticket. Especially considering the unlikelihood of catching said hero in the first place.

Riding through the streets of Gotham during the daytime hours was a different experience.

The city is vibrant when not under the cloak of night. If Peter squinted hard enough it resembled Metropolis, in all its ivory towered glory. The people were so full of life and hope; you'd never know they spent most nights in mortal fear of two-faced mobsters and crazy clowns.

Bruce fought desperately to change all that; both as a philanthropist and as masked avenger.

Though the world at large thought that Bruce Wayne's "humanitarian" efforts were simply a cover for his more raunchy affairs, those in Gotham knew the truth. That although on the surface, Bruce Wayne came across as a playboy with a devil may care attitude, he was one of the few who truly did care.

And he showed it with actions, not empty platitudes.

Less than an hour later, Peter was outside the Gotham city limits and the backdrop immediately shifted.

Skyscrapers, warehouses and urban sprawl were replaced by lush countryside and rustic mountains on the road leading to Civic City. He'd be coming here tomorrow to attend Dr. Palmer's lecture series, but today it was a stopgap on his way to Titans' East HQ.

When he reached the outskirts of Steel City, he ran out of gas. He could have easily pushed it to a gas station, but instead he wheeled the bike into an alley, activated the cloak, and took to the air.

When it came to clearing his head; this, he found was** much** better.

Something in his heart told him that this was right, in spite all his earlier confusion and doubts. This was **true**.

Swinging from his webs, he felt at ease, his agitation forgotten. Batman criticized him for adopting such an unorthodox form of transportation. Robin thought he was one miscalculation away from being a smudge on a skyscraper, but Peter didn't care.

Some things were not up for negotiation.

Bruce explained that the calculations of trajectory, mass and speed that were required to successfully swing, were impossible to do on the fly. Even when Peter showed him he was perfectly capable of navigating most of Gotham City in his own unique way, Batman was still not in favor of it. He convinced Peter to use that mode of travel sparingly.

Reluctantly, Peter agreed, after all the cycle was not a terrible way to travel.

Still on nights when he was allowed solo patrol freedom, he left the bike stashed in an alley somewhere. Bruce would surely object to his reckless treatment of a million dollars of Wayne Technology if he ever found out. For Peter though, remaining on the ground was like putting a shark in a goldfish bowl.

He felt confined and inhibited.

Peter took to web slinging with ease and he was beginning to think it may be because he'd already developed the skill before waking up here.

_**Just who the hell was I anyway, that this was a normal form of transportation?**_

All the good feeling he'd built up during his web slinging evaporated by the time he dropped from the sky onto the banks of the river across from Titan's HQ. He was angry again and couldn't wait to hit the state of the art gym.

Unlike the West Coast affiliate, where he'd met all the members before, the East Tower was more isolated. It was situated on a man made island some thirty miles from any shore. He dropped in on the bank facing it and stared for a moment.

There was an underground entrance that would respond to his DNA signature.

Once he activated it, he made a beeline for the training room.

**-Watchtower Training Room, seven months ago-**

"When you're in a hostage situation there are **four things** you must do in order to survive it..."

It was a typical training day on the 'Tower and Batman was conducting a session with the founding League members. Of all the men Diana had met since leaving the island, Batman intrigued her the most.

He was the least powerful of them, yet he commanded the most respect. All of them, even Superman, seemed to regard him with equal parts admiration and fear. He didn't wield the universes most unique and powerful weapon. He wasn't an otherworldly power that could crush coal into diamonds. Yet there was no doubt that everyone in the League followed his lead.

If she wondered why, all she had to do was think back to the first time she saw him in action.

He reminded her of the big jungle cats of her homeland; agile, powerful and deadly. And beautiful.

Lately she had found herself more and more distracted in his presence. She had chalked it up to what she'd heard call a "school girl crush". Having not had any experience with men before she had assumed her infatuation would likely pass at some point.

"Seriously, Bats?" Flash laughs derisively. "We got people here who can smash mountains or race around the planet in under a minute (yes thank you very much!); who's gonna take one of **us **hostage?"

Diana had to admit she found herself agreeing with Flash. The invasion that brought them all together had been the exception, not the rule. She was sharing a room with people generally difficult to subdue, let alone capture.

Batman doesn't answer Flash directly, he simply depresses a button on his belt and a bubble like balloon quickly envelops the speedster.

"Very funny Bats, but- I can.. just a sec-" Flash tries as hard as he could to puncture the bubble, but its frictionless surface doesn't allow him to get any speed going. Whatever the substance was it resisted his best efforts.

"Given time, resources and opportunity **any of us** can be captured..."

**-Unknown location, Now-**

Diana awakes thankful that she had been able to pay attention that day, since she now finds herself as the unlikely captive.

"_**First asses yourself, your physical and mental well-being..."**_

With her eyes still closed, Diana takes a breath allowing her senses to guide her.

Her muscles are sore, there is dried blood on her face, but physically she feels intact. Nothing feels broken; she is restrained, lying on a mattress. Circe had worked her over pretty good, which accounted for the soreness, but her mind feels clear and her cognitive abilities intact. Whatever Circe had used against her before had, for the most part, worn off. There had to be some lingering effects, because as far as she could tell her strength had not returned to her.

To test her theory she strains against her bonds and finds them to be secure, not allowing her much movement. For now though, that is not the main concern.

Breaking free of her bonds is actually not the second step in Batman's lesson

"_**Note your surroundings and look for anything that can help you determine where you are."**_

She remembers asking him why this was the second step and not just breaking free. He explained, somewhat patiently for him, that if you just punched free of your prison and you were thousands of feet below sea level, or stranded on a floating space station, freedom might place you in greater danger.

So Diana takes a look around, she is in a small, windowless room, tied to a bed. Nothing of note is in the room, the walls appear to be normal enough and she is by herself. She didn't sense any abnormal pressure, but not being at a hundred percent, she couldn't say for certain. So for now, her whereabouts would have to wait.

"_**Determine how you came to be captured to begin with..."**_

That was easy enough.

After Circe tired of beating Diana's helpless form, she tied her up in her own lasso and knocked her out.

Diana knew this was an oversimplification, but the truth was too disconcerting for her to face right now.

Because somehow Circe had boarded the Watchtower undetected, taken the form of Batman, synthesized a chemical agent that rendered Wonder Woman's powers inert and brought her here.

All of this accomplished with relative ease.

There were security safeguards in place developed by Batman, Dr. Fate and Mister Miracle that made such a thing impossible, yet somehow that didn't seem to hinder Circe.

Diana couldn't help but wonder when or if anyone would come looking for her, given the abrupt nature of her capture. She had taken a leave of absence before, without warning, to return home and take care of things on Themyscira. Sure there were signs of obvious struggle in her room, but it could be days, maybe weeks before anyone bothers to look for her there and by then the trail would be ice cold.

Bruce once told her that the first forty-eight hours are crucial in any case and that after that the success rate plummets exponentially.

_**Who knows how long I've been out..? Circe seemed to want the League to know I was missing, but that doesn't mean she intends to do more than that. She mentioned delivering me to a madman... Ares? They were lovers once... would he dare risk Athena's wrath? Of course he would... He's mad... There's no way of knowing what he has planned for me...**_

She shakes those disturbing thoughts by focusing on the final point of Batman's lesson:

"_**Is escape possible...?"**_

Circe had long harbored a grudge against her, but this seemed out of character for her. Circe preferred to be present for her humiliations and as far as she could tell, Diana was alone. Circe is likely to return, if for no other reason than to gloat, which meant that Diana needed to free herself quickly.

She again struggles against her bonds, working up a sweat until she hears the telltale scuffle of a person approaching. Unsure of what to do, she feigns unconsciousness.

"Wakeee, Wakeee eggs and bakey!"

The singsong voice startles Diana, because it was not the voice she expected to hear. When she opens her eyes, she's more confused than ever.

"You?"

**-Titan's East HQ, Training room-**

The Entrance Alarm woke her up from her sleep.

She was angry because it was one of the few times that the Tower was actually quiet. M'Gann was visiting with J'onn on the station; the others were, well, she didn't care where. All she cared about was the fact that she was able to sleep past 8am for the first time since moving back into the Tower.

That was until he set the alarm off.

At first she thought it was Garfield; Beast Boy was always forgetting to enter in his bypass code once the scanner allowed him in. She was surprised to see Peter on the control room cameras, heading for the training room.

Surprised and a bit excited, for reasons she fought hard to deny.

If pressed for an answer, the heroine named Koriand'r would likely admit to the fact she liked Peter.

He had a quirky sense of humor, but he wasn't crude the way Beast Boy could sometimes be. He was obviously very intelligent, but there was a natural humility about him that other men she'd met lacked. . Much like herself, he'd been through a lot in life and like her he made the best of the situation.

Not to mention she thought he was very handsome.

Despite all that, Kory was not as naïve to the ways of earthlings as she once was. She knew Peter was off limits to her.

Dick was her first love, he taught much about life here, meaning he would always have a special place in her heart. And he and Peter were friends. More than that, they were essentially brothers, having been taken in and trained by the same man. Out of respect for what Dick meant to her, she wouldn't allow herself to pursue things with Peter.

That didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy his company.

After taking the time to shower and dress she made her way to the lower levels. There she found Peter engaging in a round of "Save the Civilian"

It was a program that Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg designed, although Beast Boys main contribution was giving the program its dorky name. It was meant to train members to protect people while dealing with multiple threats.

There was another, more serious lesson in the program that Cyborg recently informed Starfire about.

It was designed so that there would **always **be casualties.

A perfect score in the simulation was impossible.

Regardless of your abilities, of your skill, you would never be able to keep everyone safe in the time allowed. There was no pattern in the attacks to memorize, no "easy" setting to help you get through it, no matter what you did; someone would die. This held true even for those with superhuman speed like Flash and Supergirl, no one was quick enough to counter every single threat.

Although truthfully it was not only a matter of speed, it was more a matter of recognizing threats quickly and being able to act without a second's hesitation.

Of course, Starfire questioned this with Victor Stone, whose response was simple yet powerful:

"_**Better for them to learn they can't save everyone in a simulation and be mentally prepared for the possibility... than to learn that hard lesson in the real world..."**_

Now she was watching Peter do his best to prove himself equal to the impossible. Because of his enhanced senses he could detect the next threat before it actually became one. And with his superhuman reflexes, speed and strength he could neutralize them quickly. The program was adapting to him though, giving him all he could handle, but every time Starfire noticed another potential threat, Peter was already taking it out.

The fluid grace, with which he moves, is surpassed by the ferocity he employs in eliminating his targets. He is a true warrior in all respects, no wasted motion and no uncertainty in his steps. Even Dick in his prime didn't move the way Peter did.

In her youth on Tameran and in her time on Earth, she'd seen her fair share of fighters. Some employed savage aggression; others were technically proficient masters of their craft. Some, like Batman, fell into the latter category. They never allowed his emotions or the situation to deter them. They remained calm and cool under any circumstance.

She herself identified more with Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman; both were well trained but they fought with passion and vigor. Until today, she'd never seen a seamless blending of the two. It was something to behold.

Even his new mask couldn't hide his obvious fury; he wasn't here to hone his skills, he was here to lash out. From her spot above the room, she can't help but wonder just how strong he really is as enemies fall with little resistance. The droids were designed to fall when hit with the appropriate amount of force, which could be adjusted depending on the person's power level.

Peter had it maxed out, but was still mowing through them with ease.

This not only made them harder to take out, but also made them hit harder too. Not that he had to worry about it much. In the ten minutes she'd been watching him she hadn't seen him take a single hit.

**{Program complete: Score... 100...}**

With the program ended, Starfire floats down into the room behind Peter. When word of this got out, she had no doubt that Cyborg and Robin would likely spend days rewriting the entire program.

"Magnificent..."

Muffled by his mask, Kory can barely make out his dry laugh, but it is cut short as he turns to face her.

"For all the good it does..." Peter grunts in a hard tone that seems alien coming from him.

Starfire is surprised, but she approaches him anyway. "No one has ever managed to score higher than a 92 in the simulation... I'd say that is a feat worthy of praise..."

Peter shrugs and turns from Starfire, obviously intending to leave. Kory catches up to him touching his shoulder lightly. She's seen this agitated state before and knows she needs to proceed as carefully as she can. "Will you tell me what bothers you?"

He turns to her, but his mask obscures his expression. Her fingers run lightly along the neck of his uniform and she yelps as a shock runs through her fingertips.

"Sorry, security measures..." There is a bit of humor in his tone as he watches Kory attend to her slightly singed fingers.

"You Sons of the Bat are indeed sensitive about your identities... even though **everyone** that matters knows who you are..."

Peter cocks his head slightly to the side. "Sons of the- what now?"

Kory immediately realizes her slip up; embarrassed she decides to come clean. "It is- well Garth came up with it to tease Dick, who of course hated it... I didn't mean to-"

"I like it." Peter states simply still looking at Kory. For some reason his mask makes her uncomfortable. Reading her discomfort, he grabs her hands and guides it to a release point just under his chin and allows her to ease the mask off his face to rest on top of his head. "Better?"

"Yes..." Kory stares deep into his brown eyes noting with interest how different he is from Dick. Nightwing was more open than Batman, but he still buried quite a bit of his emotions. Peter wore his out in the open.

And if she continued to stare into them she would break her promise to herself. Turning to a completely useless droid, she changes topics. "Victor will not be happy that he has to repair so many droids..."

This time when he laughs, Kory hears less pain in it. "Please! He lives for this stuff... he'll probably look at it as a chance to improve on this model..."

Kory joins him in his laughter. "You're probably right..." Kory agrees stepping around the drone, to again face Peter. Her face flushes as he watches her with curiosity. She imagines her behavior around him confuses him as much as it frustrated her.

Where she came from, when you wanted something or in this case someone, you took it. But here there seemed to be so many complications in just basic human attraction, she felt unsure of herself. Unable to take the silence she returns to her earlier question. "What brings you to the East Tower, Peter?"

The dark cloud over him returned as he cast his eyes downward. "No reason..."

Kory lifts his head up by the chin, eager for the excuse to touch him again. "I am here for you... if you need someone to... talk to..." Her hand remains on his face and she only sighs slightly as he leans into its touch. There was so much need and ache in that gesture that she had to fight hard to keep herself from kissing him right there.

He takes a deep breath before speaking. "I suppose just your typical _**"Who am I, why am I here?"**_ questions. Struggling with the reason for my life here..." Peter chuckles softly. "Jeez, I sound like a badly written tween show on the CW..."

Kory frowns a little, allowing her had to drop to his shoulder. "I rather enjoy them... do you not think they accurately portray the lives of teenagers?" Television became something of a haven for her in her early days on Earth. A way of connecting to a place that seemed so foreign to her.

Peter's smile is genuine when he responds. "Not that I have much experience, Starfire, but I have to say normal teenage life is a bit less... angst filled..."

"I don't know..." Kory admits, lowering her gaze to the floor as she thinks it over. "When I first came here, there was so much I didn't understand about this world. Customs and traditions that made me feel like an outcast, even among outcasts... I guess on some level I identify with those confused teenage girls..." They, like her were often torn between what they wanted and what was best for them. She wondered if it was a sign of weakness on her part that she still saw herself that way.

Peter reaches out and lifts her face up. "That's crazy..."

She meets Peter's eyes again and involuntarily moves closer to him. She can feel him stiffen a bit, but he doesn't move away. "Am I really so different from them...?" She watches his face closely, trying to see if she can read his reaction to her.

His expression is one of genuine surprise. "Of course you are! You are strong and determined-"

"When it comes to punching out Solomon Grundy, sure, but when it comes to matters... closer to my heart... I am a coward..." She hoped he would understand that she was speaking about him and that he would admit to feeling something similar.

"I don't know exactly what happened between you and Nightwing, but- Down!"

With incredible speed, Peter not only pulls his mask back on but presses Starfire flat to the floor, just as the arrow from a crossbow wizzes by them.

"Ya got some moves kid... I can see why they were willing to pay me so much upfront to take you out!"

Peter gets to his feet and places himself between Starfire and the attacker. Both instantly recognize the assailant.

"Bad news for you kid, is Deathstroke never fails to complete an assignment and someone wants you dead!"

_**A/N: Good to be back! Next up; Spiderman vs. Deathstroke, Batman questions a Riddler and a Father and Daughter agree to disagree!**_


	12. Meetings of minds and fists

_**A/N: Thanks for all the love readers! Hope you enjoy the latest update!**_

**-Titan Tower, Training Room-**

"You say you've **never failed** to complete an assignment, but wasn't one of your first jobs to kill the Teen Titans?" Spiderman taunts Deathstroke, simultaneously dodging crossbow bolts, while creating space between them. Starfire goes on the offensive, firing star bolts at Deathstroke keeping him from gaining an advantage.

"That contract has no expiration date, son. And it's one that **I will** complete!" His cross bow empty Deathstroke tosses it aside to switch to his trademark bow staff. Twirling it around, he watches Peter closely looking for an opening.

Most people think that Batman trains his protégés to be **fighters**.

While they are skilled in hand to hand combat, a large portion of the training they undergo has more to do with deduction and observation.

More than their youthful determination, or their natural athletic abilities, the thing that make Dick, Barbara, Tim and Peter all uniquely suited for the Batman's style of crime-fighting is their above average intellect. It was this skill that was sharpened. He taught them to use their reasoning in a way that made their minds just as dangerous as their fists.

_**Obviously I'm Slade's target, but only Vandal Savage knows that Spiderman is a Teen Titan. It may be possible Savage hired Slade, but I don't see the two of them working together… there's another player involved here for sure. Could the whole "Agents of Ares" thing mean that Ares is the one pulling all these strings? Arkham, Star City, Metropolis, the copies, all of it has us playing catch up, while there's a whole other game being played...**_

Spiderman dips out of the way of a few blasts, still keeping a relative distance. While Starfire counters with her own unique energy bolts. Slade shows just as much agility as Peter in evading the blasts.

_**And if it is Ares pulling the strings how has he managed to sign up so much outside help? He's never been known as a "Team Player" but apparently he's got everyone dancing to his beat… **_

"Starfire..." Peter leans in Starfire's direction without taking his eyes off Slade. "You need to sweep the Tower-"

"I'm not leaving you here! The two of us can-"

"Slade isn't dumb enough to break into Titan's Tower alone or at least without an exit plan case things go south... you know how he favors remote controlled detonation..." While that was true, Peter was more concerned about having Starfire in the way. Kory was often wild and unpredictable in battle, a fact that Slade has exploited on more than one occasion. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure that sending her away, at least for now, was the smart move.

"Very chivalrous of you, but if you know what's best for you; you'll take her advice..." Slade begins making his move towards the two of them, obviously waiting to see if Starfire would stay or not.

"Kory..." Peter drops into a fighting stance. Deathstroke would have at least ten different ways that he could use Kory's presence to his advantage and Peter hadn't spent enough time in the field with her to predict how. Even his warning sense had its limits.

"Fine!" Kory takes to the air but shouts a warning as she leaves. "I'll be back for you soon Slade!" Leaving an angry trail of solar energy behind her she disappears.

"Hopefully the boy will still be alive when you get back!" Slade wastes no time in firing a stun blast from his bow staff at Peter. Leaping in the air Peter dodges the blast and returns fire with a couple web shots. Peter manages to web one end of the staff to the floor, but Slade rips it free before the solution can set.

"Spiderman may have been a children, but he ain't never been a boy; can ya dig it?" Peter quips from his spot on the wall. His muscles coil ready to spring from his position.

"What?" Deathstroke is so distracted by Peter's comment, that he nearly takes a knee right in the chin. As it is, Slade dodging the move late, allows Peter to grab him, tossing Slade across the room. Slade, of course, just as agile as Batman, lands safely on his feet.

"Makes sense a guy like you wouldn't understand..." Peter murmurs, standing in front Slade. "Actually, I bet there's a lot you don't understand; like sunglasses, or left turns, or why orange and blue are fine by themselves but not together..."

Slade fires a few more blasts at Peter, but he is able to dodge them fairly easily, a little too easily.

_**He's not trying to hit me… he's trying to gauge my agility... more to this assignment than a simple "kill" order... that's fine with me…Main mistake people make fighting Slade is trying to outfight him. When a guy can operate at an efficiency level he can, you're better off letting him make the moves. Observe him long enough; maybe you can find an opening...**_

Peter's senses are heightened to the point where he can not only anticipate attack, he can sense intent. The sensation that activates in the back of his head varies in intensity. At first it was just a feeling of something amiss, but after training with Batman it became something more.

There are times when he had been able to tell that Batman was trying to manipulate him into a certain position, normally so that Robin could get the drop on him. He was feeling something similar now with Slade, as if this was a performance not a fight.

_**Okay then, let's put on a show for your employer…**_

After dodging a few attacks, Spiderman fires his impact webbing again. This time it's more effective, pasting the bow staff to the wall behind Wilson. Slade crouches to avoid another salvo. Peter needed him closer in order for his plan to work, which meant disabling his long range options.

"So you gonna squat over there, posing like you belong in a comic book, or you plan on actually fulfilling a contract **for once**?" Peter taunts. Peter wants him angry and irrational. He wants Slade to make this personal he wants to force Wilson to get his hands dirty. With an almost inhuman snarl, Slade advances on him.

_**Careful whatcha wish for Pete...**_

Slade launches into a series of combinations that Peter's senses allow him to stay just ahead of. Slade's style is more structured, probably due to the military training, but that doesn't make it any less deadly. To an onlooker their conflict would just be a blur of motion, each man moving faster than most eyes could follow.

"Heard you were supposed to be one of the best... but my Gam Gam fights harder... whoever hired you should ask for a refund..." Peter dodges a few more strikes, some coming very close to finding their mark. "Or at least get a discount rate... I mean I gotta ask Longstroke, have you **ever** actually killed **anyone** before? Or are you more **mouth** than Merc...?"

Slade pulls out a small serrated blade. With sharpened studs along the knuckles, Slade has upped the ante considerably. He takes several aggressive swipes at Spiderman, no longer just gauging his reactions, but trying to make contact.

_**Okay... you've got him angry and off balance... now let's see what we can find out.**_

Depressing a button on his belt, he begins the first phase of his plan, all while continuing to taunt Slade. "Tell the truth Sir Strokes a Lot, nobody actually hired you at all... you just have a thing for teens in tight uniforms..."

"My employer wanted enough of you left over to study..." Slade thrusts his blade forward with full intent of embedding it in chest, Spiderman sidesteps the thrust. As well as the follow up swipe to his jugular. "I may have to disappoint him..."

_**Wanting to study me rules out Savage... "Him" could be someone with an interest in metahumans and with me being kind of the new kid on the block... No... It's gotta be deeper than that... **_

"**Study me**? Sorry, but you're only making my case to report you to pedophiles anonymous... "

Peter grabs Slade's leg mid kick at the ankle giving it a twist. Not enough to break bone, even though with his strength he could, just enough to hurt. Slade uses the support of Peter's grip to flip in to a back handspring away from him. His less than graceful landing is not lost on Peter.

"You okay, gramps? Not looking as spry as before... how'd an old guy like you get in here anyway? This place isn't exactly wheelchair accessible."

"I **never **have a problem getting in here..."

From a kneeling position Slade throws several knives in Spiderman's direction. Peter takes to the air, twisting and contorting his body to avoid them. The buzzing in the back of his skull makes him aware of his mistake. While he's midair, he's vulnerable and he takes a full kick to his midsection, driving him across the room.

"Ouch." Peter picks himself off the floor. "Hit a nerve did we?" There's a not too subtle "thunk" above his head as two knives hit the spot his head would have been. Spiderman removes the blades from the wall and returns them back at Slade. Two miss their mark but the third takes a bit of his bicep with it as it passes.

_**Did he build himself a backdoor to our system? Maybe a hidden redundancy in the security screening programing? Not in his wheelhouse, but that's not to say he couldn't get someone else to do it for him. Plenty of genius' on the wrong side of the law, who can be had for the right price... **_

Slade lunges at him furious. His punches are beginning to lose their usual crispness. Obviously he's no too pleased at being hurt with his own weapons. Although he could easily leap away Peter stands his ground, dipping and avoiding each attack.

Each missed connection angers Wilson more.

**-Bat Cave two months ago-**

"Why are you looking up information on Slade Wilson?"

"Guy never made much sense to me..." Peter answers Tim's question without looking up from the console. Peter thought that if he was going to eventually join the Titans, then he'd better brush up on their enemies. Most of them seemed fairly pedestrian, not major threats, but Deathstroke was different.

Given his abilities and his reputation, he was amazed the Titan's beat him so often or at least forced a draw.

"What do you need to know? He's insane, can out fight or maneuver pretty much anybody and he makes Green Arrow's fashion sense seem trendy..."

"So why does he always seem to lose?"

"Uh... Cause he's the bad guy?"

"Seriously, I mean the guy has enhanced strength, speed, agility-"

"So do over half the catalogued metahumans in this database, what's your point?"

"But none of them have the ability to use nearly 90% of their brain capacity..." Peter keeps scrolling through the logs of his fights, noting how time and again he is defeated. Defeated, but never captured.

"_**Anyone can be defeated, with the right knowledge and preparation."**_ Isn't that what the boss always says?"

"Yeah," Peter nods turning from the monitors to face Robin. "But how do you prepare to face someone like that?"

**-Titans Training room now-**

Peter eventually moved beyond the physical profile and moved to Bruce's mental assessment.

Reading Bruce's workup on Slade told him a couple of things.

The first thing being that Wilson was extremely gifted as a strategist; he knew how to work every situation to his advantage. Slade was like Batman, with none of the restraint.

The other thing being that the chemical experimentation that gave him his abilities came at a price. From time to time he was the victim of uncontrolled rages, bouts of "insanity" driven by the drug used on him. They normally came at times of physical injury, but they could also be brought about by stressful situations.

Of course this brought about its own dangers. His normal strength was somewhere in the neighborhood of nine hundred fifty to a thousand pounds. Add an adrenaline fueled rage and you had an even bigger problem.

Despite the risk, Peter felt the only way you could diminish his mental faculties was to through his ego. He was used to winning, used to having a handle on every situation and every scenario. So the key was to manipulate the situation so he had no advantage.

"You know Breaststroke; if you want me so bad there are other ways to go about it. Actually I think Beast Boy is working on setting up a fan club site for me. If you want, I could put in a good word for you. Make you treasurer or something..."

Slade has stopped answering Peter's taunts with words and stepped up the ferocity of his attacks.

Slade was arrogant and narcissistic. In his mind, it should have been an easy task beating a fledgling hero like Spiderman one on one. The fact that he was having this difficult a time likely unnerved him. Unlike his fight with Vandal Savage, Peter was well-rested and focused; which meant that with enough room to maneuver it was near impossible to touch him.

"Come on Strokey, use your words like a big boy!" There was loud beep in Peter's ear that told him the first phase of his plan was now complete. Soon he'd have everything he needed.

Deathstroke unsheathes his sword and hurls it past Spiderman's head.

"Getting' sloppy old-"

"Ungh!"

"Starfire! No!"

**-Unknown location-**

"Have we met?"

"Not officially..." At the request of Batman, Diana familiarized herself with the heavy hitters among earth's villains. So it stands to reason that she would know- "…Harley Quinn."

"Ah... my reputation precedes me!" Harley dances around like a lunatic clapping her hands and Diana instantly wishes she had just an ounce of her strength back. "But enough pleasantries!" Harley stops dancing abruptly and produces from behind her back a syringe, loaded with a black fluid.

Harley follows Diana's eyes and holds up the needle. "Yeah, Mistah J says this'll keep you nice and sweet." She approaches Diana who begins to squirm in her bonds. "Ah, ah, ah, hold still lady or I'll stick this in your eye instead of your arm!"

_**It would be useless to struggle and if they wanted me dead... in my... weakened condition they would have done so already. **_

She doesn't know enough about what's going on to do anything about her situation now, so against her every instinct she relaxes her body.

Despite her obvious insanity, Quinn is gentle as a Pediatrician would be with a child as she inserts the needle and depresses the plunger. "There, there, see? Not so bad right Princess?"

Diana finds herself beginning to hate her title. Every one she's met has used it in a derogatory way, belittling its meaning. Often using it as a taunt. "Why am I here Quinn?"

Quinn tosses aside the needle and sits on the edge of the bed shrugging her shoulders. "Beats me, I just work here..." Diana looks up as the door opens again and she sees a green-skinned woman enter the room.

"Harley, I believe your... employer is looking for you..."

"Oh, sure Red..." Harley gets up from the bed and moves to leave the room. "You're prettier in person... I hope he leaves your face alone..." With that Harley leaves Diana alone in the room with Poison Ivy.

"So you were the one who helped Circe do this to me?"

"Who? Oh yes, of course, **Circe**... she gave Joker specific orders not to kill you... of course that leaves quit a bit of grey area for him to play with..." Ivy leans forward to brush an errant strand of black hair from Diana's face. Diana can tell that there is a mixture of anger and pity in Ivy's face as she says this.

_**Joker may not be able to kill me, but he's sadistic enough to find ways for me to wish he could…**_

Diana keeps her mind from wandering too much on that subject and instead focuses on gathering information. Although Diana never developed Batman's gift for interrogation, that doesn't mean she's clueless about it. Bruce told her once that most criminals can't wait to talk. They long for the opportunity to prove just how smart they are.

"Why am I here?"

"Bait for the Bat of course. Joker seems to think he has a thing for you... I would have thought Selena would be more of a match..."

_**This is easier than I thought... oh wait...**_

She notices that Ivy doesn't seem to realize that she's inadvertently touching her golden lasso.

"Where am I?" Diana hopes she doesn't realize her situation before she can get more intelligence from her.

"Star City, Warehouse District, lower end, lot number 2-6-" Ivy shifts and momentarily breaks contact with the lasso. "…why am I telling you this?" By lifting her body slightly off the bed, Diana is able to force her into contact with it again.

"Not like I can escape, right?" Diana tries to reassure her. Even though the lasso compels you to speak the truth, with Ivy not bound by it, she could at any time escape its reach. "What's Joker's endgame?"

"He's gonna kill the Bat and they're gonna help him do it-"

"Now Ivy dear..."

Joker appears behind Ivy and backhands her off the bed, breaking her free of the lasso's grip.

"We can't have you spilling the beans before they're done can we?"

Ivy holds her face where Joker struck her and gets to her feet angry. "You don't touch me, Clown. Ever." Diana dares hope for a moment that the two may square off and give her an opportunity to escape. Unfortunately those hopes are quickly dashed.

"It wasn't all peaches and cream for me either, but it had to be done..." Joker smiles nastily pointing to the lasso which has stopped glowing now that Ivy is no longer touching it. Once Ivy realizes what happened some of her anger fades, but she still glares menacingly at the clown.

"There are other ways you could have let me know..."

Joker smile disappears. "Don't you have some plants or potions to check on?"

Ivy looks at Diana one last time, before leaving the room. Diana doesn't care for the look in the villainess' eyes.

Joker watches her leave and doesn't turn to Diana until he hears the door close shut. "Now that we're alone..."

**-Titan's Training room-**

Peter scales the wall until he reaches the place where Starfire is pinned by Deathstroke's sword.

Much as he hates to do it, he cannot pull the sword free, not yet, not until he's dealt with Slade. But he does pull it and her free from the wall. Setting her down gently, he turns back to face Slade but a strong hand grips his wrist.

"Don't... too... dangerous ... called the others..." She pleads with him.

"Good. They can take his body to the morgue." Peter slides free from her grip carefully. He allowed this fight to drag on because he wanted information. But now that Kory was in danger that no longer mattered.

"Sounds like someone's ready to get serious."

"I hope you're ready for that Slade, because whoever hired you to test my abilities is going to get a full sample..."

Without another word, Spiderman leaps at Deathstroke. On the offensive now, Peter's full speed and strength are brought into play. He's never cut loose before, at least not intentionally. There were times early in his training when he lost control, but from the first time he took the streets of Gotham as the Spiderman, he'd been keeping himself in check.

He didn't have many opportunities to take off the kid gloves and he had no intention of passing the chance up.

Slade avoids the right, but cannot escape the left as if connects with his jaw. He escapes the knee to the stomach, but catches an elbow to his throat. As he stumbles back to collect his bearings, he gets a face full of webbing, forcing him to remove his mask. The second that takes lets Peter sweep Slade's leg while following up with a hard front kick to his chest. Slade is sent sprawling across the room

"Not pulling your punches, anymore huh?" Slade smiles through a mouthful of blood. Peter is sure that several of Slade's ribs are now cracked. Ordinarily he would be disturbed by that fact, but Slade deserves much worse.

"Actually, I am," Peter confesses closing the distance. "I plan on taking my time with this." Peter flexes his hands in anticipation as he approaches Slade. This time, Slade doesn't wait for Peter to attack instead he tries to counter with another punch, but Spiderman ducks it easily delivering his own to Wilson's midsection. Wilson rolls with the blow and tries a roundhouse. Spiderman catches his leg and this time he does break bone. The sound of the snap reverberates through the whole room, as does the sounds that issue from Slade's mouth.

"Yearrghhh!"

"Tell me again Slade..." Spiderman now repeatedly punches Slade in the face, while avoiding his increasingly weak counter attacks. "Tell me how you're going to kill me..." Peter grabs Deathstroke's hand mid swing and breaks several bones in his wrist and forearm.

Taking satisfaction in the grimace on Slade's face he continues his onslaught, forcing Slade back with each blow.

Summoning his last bit of speed, Slade finally tags Peter in the nose. The blow causes Peter to stumble just long enough for Slade to gain an advantage.

"I'll show you, boy!" It's clear now that Slade had manipulated Spiderman into position of his staff and with him stunned he was able to hit him with a shot square in his chest. The blast causes searing pain to ripple all through Peter's body as it attacks his nervous system. Slade has time to remove the staff fully from the wall and walk over to Peter's writhing body.

Slade stands over Spiderman, smiling despite the obvious pain he's in. "You put up a decent fight… best I've seen in a while..." Slade twists his staff producing a blade awash with energy. "This means you're way too dangerous to allow you to live!"

**-Watchtower, Control room-**

"Hey Batman, what brings you... up ... here...?"

Black Canary's words fall on deaf ears as Batman strides right past her. He's not the most cheerful person she's met since becoming a full time member of the League, but he'd never been downright rude.

"What's his deal?" Canary whispers.

"Heard that bird-boy's been spending his nights with a certain _**raven haired vigilante**_ in purple..."

"Huntress?" Dinah had seen the woman a few times in action and couldn't imagine why Nightwing would have taken to teaming up with her. But she could definitely see why said team up would not sit well with Batman.

Green Arrow nods, smiling. "He wouldn't be the first to fall for a mysterious woman in thigh high boots..."

"Ollie, really, must you?"

"Yes." Oliver Queen smiles even as Dinah finds herself blushing.

**-Watchtower corridors-**

Batman had been unnerved by his meeting with Dick.

Although he had always been stubborn, Nightwing at least used to hear him out. But by destroying that thumb drive, Nightwing was making it clear that he didn't intend to listen to his former mentor. Bruce supposes he should have expected it.

It happened with Barbara, with Jason and at some point he figured it would be the same for Tim and Peter too. Every student, sooner or later believe there is nothing more for the teacher to show them. No other lessons or words of wisdom to pass on.

**-Bat Cave, four years ago-**

"You disobey me again and you're through!"

"You don't get to order me around! I'm not your _**trusty sidekick**_ or your ward anymore! I'm your partner!"

"Technically until you turn twenty-one, you are still my ward. Additionally, if you want to operate in Gotham City, you _**will follow my orders**_!" The two of them had just returned from an encounter with Deadshot and Black Mask. Although they were able to subdue both, Robin was nearly injured when he ignored Batman's order to stand down and wait for him to finish taking care of Black Mask. It wasn't the first time in the last few months that Robin had deliberately disobeyed Batman on a mission.

In Batman's opinion it had been happening all too frequently lately.

Dick had been splitting his time between the Titans and Gotham which of course left their relationship in a strange place. With the Titans, all the other heroes looked up to Robin because he was the most seasoned of them all. . Dick wasn't just a member of the Teen Titans; he was their **leader**, the one they all took their cues from. Yet every time he came back to Gotham he had to regress into the role of Robin. And he was getting tired of it.

"Then I guess I'll have to take my act on the road..."

"You're forgetting that you are only Robin, because I **allow** you to be."

"Master Bruce, Dick, perhaps you should **both** shower and cool off. Neither of you wishes to say something you may regret..." Alfred had seen this coming for years now. Robin was no longer the "Boy Wonder" even if Bruce had failed to recognize the change. He had grown into his own and he wouldn't be talked down to any longer.

"No Alfred," Dick shouts stepping around the hands of the man he'd come to think of as a father. "He's right. As long as I'm Robin, I'll always be his lackey... I think it's time for **both of us** to move on..."

**-Watchtower corridors-**

A few weeks later, "Nightwing" made his first appearance in Bludhaven. Several months after that, a boy named Jason Todd assumed the mantle of Robin. The transition was not easy for either of them.

Seeing someone else in the colorful green and yellow uniform angered Dick at first, that Bruce would take someone else into his confidence so soon after the split. It meant something to Dick that he was one of the few who knew who Batman truly was.

For Batman it was difficult because as much as he tried to be and as much as he wanted to be; Jason was not Dick.

He wasn't as skilled as Dick, not as naturally athletic or inherently bright. Still, he, like Bruce, had seen the ugly side of Gotham first hand. His experiences as a youth in Gotham, gave Jason determination and desire for justice the two formed a bond over that passion. What Jason lacked in ability, he tried to make up for with pure rage.

Of course, this made him reckless, brazen and completely undisciplined most of the time. Batman tried to get Jason to understand that nothing good would come of the risks he took. Jason wouldn't, or maybe couldn't change and it eventually led to him being killed by the Joker.

Every day since Jason was lost to him, Bruce has wondered why he ever allowed the boy to take to the streets at his side. It could be he hoped that giving Jason a purpose would level him out, balance the anger within him.

It didn't. And for a long time Batman worked without a partner. Until Tim Drake took it upon himself to take up the mantle. Tim believed that Batman needed a Robin, a counterpoint to the darkness. Without someone to be an example to, Batman indulged his more ferocious side too often.

"What brings you to the floating paradise, Bats?"

"Business with Superman, Wally." Batman doesn't break stride, he has a great deal of respect for the speedster, but he was in no mood for Wally's inane banter.

"Right, right, right, right, the whole Doc Magnus thing... so… why are you headed for Double W's room?"

For the second time this morning, Batman is surprised. He had been walking aimlessly through the corridors, not with any real purpose. Clark wasn't supposed to meet him here for another hour, but nevertheless not fifteen feet away was Wonder Woman's quarters.

"I'm not." Batman answers gruffly to disguise his own surprise at the situation. "I'm headed to the cafeteria." Both were on the same level, so it wasn't** impossible**. Although both men knew that there was no reason for him to come this way to get there.

"Of course... taking the _**scenic**_ route... I getcha..." Wally winks at Batman, enjoying having a bit of an upper hand. "I'll see ya there!" Flash speeds off to fill his ravenous metabolism, leaving a dumbfounded Dark Knight in his wake.

**Batman, do you copy?**

Raising a hand to the ear of his cowl, Bruce, thankful for the interruption, activates his communicator. "Tell me you're on your way Kent." Bruce didn't think their appointment with Magnus would yield much. He was fairly certain that Hiro had been stalling them and was the man, or in this case the boy, behind the machines. Of course that didn't mean that it wasn't worth a conversation at least.

**Negative... volca... Peru... need to resched- meet-**

Batman shakes his head. The good doctor would be more forthcoming with Superman in tow. Much as Batman hated to admit it, Clark's Boy Scout routine had its uses. "Just contact me back when the crisis is averted... I'm headed to Arkham."

**… Trouble?**

"More like a hunch I want to play... Batman out."

During his conversation he'd walked past Diana's room and now a few dozen feet away, he looked back at it curiously. He hadn't seen her since the meeting yesterday and it wasn't like her to isolate herself. He wonders briefly if she had been avoiding him.

_**If she is, all the better... I've got things I could be doing anyway...**_

**-Titan's training room-**

**Vrrt! Vrrt!**

**{File download complete…Force Pair... Complete…}**

"I have to take this kid," Slade announces, depressing a button on his staff before firing another stun blast at the sprawling Spiderman. He then produces a cell phone from a pocket in his uniform. "Yeah?"

"Mr. Wilson, have you completed your task?"

"You're monitoring everything through my suit, so you know the answer to that already..." Slade answers angry at the intrusion. His leg and right arm were both throbbing painfully and he could feel his face swelling up; he wanted to get this done.

"So why haven't you reported back yet...?"

"He's dangerous, you said so yourself..." Slade had never been taken to the limit like this by one person, let alone a child. Even his previous run-ins with the entire Teen Titan's roster hadn't given him this much trouble. If he were to be honest he had no idea how he managed to get the better of him to begin with. "Killing him is the logical conclusion."

"You **defeated** him Mr. Wilson. I fail to see him as a hindrance to our plans. Nor do I see his death as the completion of your assignment."

"Thought you wanted to study him? An autopsy works as well as a live specimen..."

"That has changed. His capture, as well as his death would bring attention. Attention that is not a part of our plans..."

"So what?" Slade snorts. "I won't get paid if I kill him?" He'd never had an employer question his judgment on an assignment before and considering what little he knew about the man on the other end of the line it made no sense. He didn't know the details, but this guy was planning something big. He'd taken measure of all of Earth's most powerful heroes, Spiderman was a wildcard and in Slade's experience, the fewer wildcards in the deck the better.

Considering the amount of carnage that was about to be unleashed on the world, what would it matter if Spiderman dies now or later?

"No Mr. Wilson. You will join him in his state of nonexistence."

Slade Wilson has stared an angry Superman in his steel blue eyes and not blinked, but there is something in this man's voice that gives him pause. "I will adhere to the contract between us..."

The line is disconnected and Slade casts a wary look down at the fallen hero. "I suggest you pray we don't meet again, boy." Slade depresses a button on his belt and fades from view.

**-Metropolis Royal Arms Hotel-**

"I take it that was Wilson...?"

"Yes he wanted to- what are you doing?"

"What?"

"Take off that disguise." The icy glare in his eyes along with the harshness of his voice let's her know he is serious. There are times when he embraces her playful nature, but she can see why how she looks would bother him.

She is after all disguised as her own mother.

The spell woven to affect her appearance fades and Lyta stands before her father smiling. "Better?"

"Much."

"So I delivered the Amazon to the clown... I still don't see why..." She didn't like Diana, but she respected her. She was raised by the Amazon's after all and Diana was the greatest warrior among them. To think of her as a captive of that sadistic madman unsettled her. Lyta agreed that Wonder Woman would be one of the many that would need to be dealt with before they could have success, she would have just preferred to end things quickly.

"It will serve as another distraction, while we gather the final pieces..." Ares steps out onto the balcony enjoying the early morning view. Of course he is imagining a different scene altogether than the one of mundane normalcy beneath him. It was his time now

It had taken him most of the last year to set things in motion. Making alliances with men he'd rather see dead, operating in the shadows when he'd rather be out in the open. The Agents of Ares stunt was only a tactic to make Diana more susceptible to their earlier ruse, not a declaration of intent. That would come later; when it was too late for the heroes to do anything about it.

Lyta joins him on the balcony and he watches his daughter with pride. He'd sired a fair number of progeny over the centuries, most of which were disappointments. For a while he'd taken to simply killing them as infants, but each day he was more and more pleased that he had allowed Lyta to live.

"Why do you not want the Spider killed?" Lyta didn't like the fact that the child had nearly defeated Savage in one on one combat. Had she not assisted he could have been captured and everything could have been undone.

"You are full of questions this morning daughter..." The playful grin on his face hides his annoyance. While he applauded her bloodlust, he knew the true origin of her concern. The altercation between Spiderman and Savage interested them both, for different reasons. Spiderman was one of the few people who stood outside the realm of his influence, so he wanted to know why.

He was not tethered to this reality, by all rights he **shouldn't** be able to exist here. That, plus the unusual nature of the child's powers left Ares with serious questions

He briefly considered capturing the boy to question him on his own, but there was a taint of protective magic around him. Something familiar, but not anything he could readily place. He had his suspicions, which is why he tasked Slade to confront him.

Unfortunately, Slade was no help. Their encounter simply left Ares increasingly more frustrated. He knew the difference one man could make. He'd seen wars undone by a single determined combatant. In his mind, Batman was the single greatest threat to his plans, which is why he set things in motion to drive him to distraction. Now he wondered if his focused had been misplaced.

"I'm sorry father; it's just with us being so close..."

"He may be an unaccounted for piece, but he is nothing more than that..."

"An unaccounted for piece that happens to be out of phase with this entire reality…" Lyta mumbles. She didn't like that he was here. It didn't make any sense. They had plans for every member of the League, but this Spiderman was a variable to the equation.

"I think you give the boy too much credit..." Ares turns to his daughter grasping her lightly by the shoulders. "Slade defeated him, if need be he can be removed as easily as any of the others..."

**-Arkham Asylum-**

"Nigma..."

"Mr. Wayne... or when you have on the cowl do you prefer Batman? To what do I owe this visit?"

Bruce knew this meeting would be tricky.

Ever since his bath in a Lazarus pit, Edward Nigma, the Riddler, has known who he is under the mask. So far the two have danced around an uneasy stalemate, because neither would benefit from the secret being revealed.

If Riddler sold the secret to the highest bidder, considering just one of Batman's "friends" could crack open the planet; there would be **nowhere** he could be safe. So, Nigma has stayed silent, but there was no doubt in Batman's mind that the man has not stopped scheming. The second Nigma is able to figure out a way to make this knowledge work for him; Batman's work would be undone.

The identities of Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl, once it was revealed that Bruce Wayne was Batman, would be compromised. Even the least sophisticated mind would be able to make the connection between Batman and the adolescents he's worked with. Not to mention every single financial transaction of Wayne Enterprises would then come under extreme scrutiny. It would put all those in his employ, everyone who he ever worked with under that same microscope.

People he strove to protect like Alfred and Lucius would be hounded by reporters and criminals alike.

The knowledge Riddler possessed could stand to hurt hundreds, possibly thousands.

J'onn offered to wipe the knowledge from Edward's brain, but Batman was not in favor of that plan. He would never be a party to tampering with the mind of another person. Even someone like the Riddler.

"You seem pretty content for someone who was left **out **of _**Joker's Grand Scheme**_..." Bruce had experience with interrogation and the most successful methods are based on the person you're interrogating. Intimidation worked for some, bribery for others. The easiest way to get to the Riddler was through his ego.

Nigma snorts derisively. "_**Joker's Scheme**_? He couldn't plan his way out of shoes, let alone put together something like this..."

"And yet he manages to leave behind the most brilliant man in Arkham..."

Nigma shrugs indifferently. "Whether I am freed from this den of undesirables now, or later it makes little difference to me..." Nigma smiles leaning forward across the table in between them. "We both know that I can be extremely **patient** when I need to be..."

Batman nods, smiling humorlessly. "And you're okay with trusting your eventual freedom in a plan that relies on the intelligence of Bane, Joker and Black Mask?" Batman leans against the wall crossing his arms. "I don't share your confidence... considering the amount of times they've _**failed...**_ _**so miserably**_..."

Anger replaces the smug grin on the Riddler's face. "You had something to do with that I believe... Still perhaps you don't give them enough credit..."

"Maybe not..." Batman nods, pretending to consider. "Or perhaps you're giving them _**too much**_ credit... whoever the _**real brains**_ are behind this thing, they can't be that smart to leave you rotting, trusting their scheme to... lesser intellects..."

The silence that fills the room is thick and Batman can tell the wheels in Nigma's brain are spinning wildly. A little more pressure and he'll tell him everything he wants to know. His communicator beeps, giving him a reason to leave the Riddler to stew in his own juices.

**Batman?**

"A little busy, Blue. We'll have to reschedule our meeting with Magnus to another day..."

**It's not about that... it's... we need you back on the 'Tower...**

I'll be there in about an hour or so-

**Bruce... its Diana...**

**A/N: Next up! Ravage stalks a Spider, a deal is made between devils and the hunt begins for Diana!**


	13. At a loss

**-Titan's Training room-**

_**Well that was fun...**_

Peter lies on the floor, his entire body wracked with pain.

Somehow he manages to stand, though his legs are still shaky underneath him. Deathstroke may be long gone, but he left Peter an impressive parting gift that still his nervous system on fire.

Peter knew that even though he probably could defeat Slade, beating information out of him was not an option. There isn't an interrogation technique that's been created that Slade couldn't counter. So assuming that Peter could actually subdue the man long enough for them to try, they'd run out of time before getting any viable intelligence. That was when Peter decided to take a "dive".

Of course, taking a loss against someone like Deathstroke isn't a walk in the park.

First he had to ignore the buzzing in his head and keep his reactions in check. That was not an easy thing.

For Peter it was like trying to drink water and sing at the same time. His Spider Sense is directly connected to his reflexes; most of the time he doesn't have to _**think**_ about moving; he just does. So he compromised, deciding to roll with Slade's punch, pretending it throttled him more than it did. And even though everything in him was screaming at him to dodge the follow up blast, he took the full brunt of it.

Unfortunately the resulting agony was not an act.

With his enhanced senses an attack like that hurt more than anything he ever experienced.

Peter knew the information he would get from Slade's cell phone was likely to be minimal. So his main hope was once helpless Slade would let something slip, the way villains tend to once victory is in hand. Maybe even contact whoever hired him.

He was more than a little worried when Slade announced he was going to kill him. Considering it was unlikely he could have stopped him, Peter wondered if his miscalculation would cost him his life. Despite his earlier taunts, he was fully aware that Wilson has indeed killed before and would have no issue killing again.

Thankfully the incoming call stopped him and whoever the man was on the other end, didn't want Peter dead. Although the second blast Slade fired made him wish he was.

He recorded the whole conversation, so once he recovered enough he would analyze that and any other data he'd download from Slade's cell phone. Of course that would require his recovery. He stood just breathing in and out for a full five minutes before he felt safe to move.

"Is... he...?"

"Yeah Kory," Peter answers picking her up gently, he was especially thankful for his healing abilities today. The effects were beginning to fade into a dull ache, just as his teammates were beginning to arrive.

**-Watchtower, Diana's room-**

No one has said a word since Batman arrived.

By now they know the drill.

Batman had a way of seeing things, a way of putting things together that the others could not and he didn't like to be interrupted. He could unravel the most complicated mysteries with a minimal amount of information, so this was a situation he was uniquely suited for.

Their teammate was missing, her room bore the signs of obvious struggle and this all happened with no one being the wiser. Had this happened anywhere else it might be understandable, but for something like this to take place aboard a facility orbiting the Earth, it was pretty remarkable.

Outside of Diana's room waiting impatiently were Flash, Green Lantern and Superman. They had all agreed that this event should be kept to as few members a possible. The others were keeping any other League members from wandering down the hall and coming upon the scene. A difficult task since the cafeteria was on the same level as Diana's room, but they managed.

"Bats should just let me in there... I could have this done in _**micro second**_..."

"Wally..." Green Lantern grunts. He was just as eager to help as the rest of them were. He thought of Diana as more than just a comrade, but as a friend. "If you go in there at super speed you're more likely to _**destroy**_ any evidence than you are to _**find**_ any."

Wally opens his mouth to argue but quickly shuts it. "Still..."

"We want Diana found and we want it done as quickly as possible so we need to let Batman do… _**what he does**_..." Superman stands in front of the door barring the way. When he returned from Peru, he came here to see if Diana wanted to join him for lunch. He always found her company to be soothing. She still possessed the same innocence she had when she first came to learn of man's world. Her outlook often helped him keep his own positivity, something he was finding harder and harder to do as of late.

Recent events have left him feeling uneasy.

The League had recently gone up against the combination of Brainiac and Darkseid; two men eager to spread death and destruction wherever they went. They managed to eke out a victory, but it had come far too close to being a defeat.

Now there was this duplicate Joker bearing Kryptonian technology inside of it, not to mention old enemies getting around by way of Boom Tubes. He couldn't help but wonder if Brainiac was back, utilizing some new tactic to destroy the earth. Given Superman's specific vulnerability to magic, it was reasonable in his mind that Brainiac had somehow survived and now allied himself with Ares.

Batman shot that theory down quickly.

Pointing out, as only he could, that the end of all life on the planet would not serve Ares' purpose. A god of war cannot create conflict without people.

Of course Superman reminded Batman that the Kryptonian construct had duped Darkseid under similar circumstances; offering technology and power without fully detailing the cost. Admittedly, Superman would feel much better if the detective had some inkling as to what was going on.

For the first time since he's known the man, Batman had no answers.

"Man... Bats and I passed by here only a few hours ago... Do you think...?"

Superman shakes his head firmly. "No sense in thoughts like that Wally..." Wally nods, hanging his head slightly. Superman himself was pondering another disturbing _**what if**_.

When the call came in about the Volcano in Peru, J'onn asked if he thought he should take Diana with him. Superman felt confident he could contain the crisis on his own. Had he enlisted Diana's help, might he have caught the assailant in the act? He knew there was no telling how long ago Diana had been abducted but it bothered him all the same.

When he found her room in the state it was in, he immediately called Bruce.

Superman will never say it out loud; but of all the men and women who've ever walked the halls of the Watchtower, he trusted Batman the most.

Though they had their share of disagreements over the years, Superman believed it was their_** similarities**_, not their differences that led to them. It was in those fights that Superman learned just how much the two men had in common.

He realized that if you stripped away all the training, all the intellect, all the anger, at his core Batman was simply a man who doesn't want to see anyone else hurt. They may have had different forces that brought them to the decision to fight for justice, but in the end their goals were the same.

By the time Batman exits the room all three men are extremely anxious. He seals the door behind him, ensuring no one else could wander into the room as Superman did. They all turn to face Batman, attempting to read the stoic expression of the Dark Knight.

"Well?" Wally blurts out frustrated.

"Not here..." Batman growls through clenched teeth, as he walks away from them in a brisk jaunt.

**-Watchtower Conference room-**

"I need this room sealed..." Batman states, looking in Green Lantern's direction.

Understanding instantly what the Dark Knight means, John creates a dome of pure green energy around the group of Hawkgirl, Flash, Superman, Lantern, Batman, Zatanna and Martian Manhunter.

"J'onn?"

Closing his eyes, J'onn scans the immediate area around them. "I detect no intrusive minds..."

"Zatanna?"

"kcolB lla cigam!"

"What's with the double secret security?" Wally asks nervously. He didn't like being kept in the dark and Batman still hasn't given them any information.

"How do you suppose someone got aboard the 'Tower, beat up Wonder Woman and escaped all without sounding a single alarm?" Hawkgirl hisses. Diana had been a real friend to her after the Thanagarian Invasion, when she really had no reason to be. It was Diana's friendship that eventually led to mending the fences among the rest of the Justice League members.

All except Batman himself, of course.

"You don't think-?"

"I'm certain that someone here has either been replaced or is a traitor." Batman announces flatly. Hawkgirl immediately looks away, sure that Batman is thinking of her. When she looks up however he seems completely uninterested in her.

"How can you be so sure?" Superman asks without much conviction. If there's one thing he's learned, it's that Batman doesn't make announcements like this unless he's absolutely sure.

"We assumed after Spiderman's report concerning the Agents of Ares fiasco that our enemy was using Boom Tube technology to make their way undetected around the globe." Everyone nods, remembering that Savage had made his escape using the same technology. "However that technology was not used here, it couldn't have been."

"Why not-?"

"Scott Free himself made sure those energies could never penetrate the hull of this station... considering what happened last time, Batman insisted on it..." Green Lantern answers. If anyone knew Darksied's tech and how to counteract it; it was Mr. Miracle; the only man to ever escape from Apokolips.

"This whole situation has been drenched in magic since the beginning… maybe…"

Batman grits his teeth in frustration. He'd been playing catch from the beginning and now it had cost him Diana. The threads he had been chasing down were fruitless, leading only to more questions.

"Fate has put up safeguards against that as well, even in the unlikely event someone was able to bypass them, Fate would have known and sounded the alarm. Whoever took Wonder Woman had clearance to enter as they pleased... there's nothing to prevent them from _**leaving**_ in any way they chose to. The safeguards keep intruders _**out**_, not in."

"I mean that's one way to look at it, sure..." Wally begins, uncomfortable with the idea that someone on the station had anything to do with all that has been happening. "But there are things- forces- we don't know about... other possibilities beyond-"

"You're a cop Wally," John interjects, placing his hand on the speedster's shoulder. "You know as well as I do, that the simplest explanation is often the correct one..."

Wally drops his shoulders in defeat. "Then who?"

Silence filled the room and like so many times before, all eyes swung to Batman. He_** always**_ had answers, so it's little wonder everyone was more than a little unnerved by his next words.

"I don't know... yet... I... need to review the security footage..."

**-Olympus, One year ago-**

"Quit skulking in the shadows, brother, it bothers me..."

"Considering the last time we spoke, sister, I felt it best to proceed with caution..."

"The _**God of War**_, fearful of approaching a woman?"

"When that woman is the _**Goddess of Wisdom**_, even Ares must tread carefully."

"What brings you then brother?" Athena understood that her brother Ares played a key role in the fabric of reality, _**she just didn't like it**_.

"Actually, I came to congratulate you, or more accurately your champion; Diana."

Athena, despite her feelings about Ares, glows with pride. "Yes. She has acquitted herself well among Earth's so-called "Mightiest Heroes" has she not?"

"Indeed." Ares nods, taking a seat next to her. "The conflicts she has been instrumental in quelling have spread her fame and by extension your own, throughout the realms. She truly is a paragon of_** justice**_." Diana often made reference to Athena, the one whom she served, which in turn increased the Goddess' own power.

Of all those within Olympus, Ares was the only one whose power isn't directly tied to worship; which made him the most feared among his contemporaries. Second only to Hades and Zeus himself. Now though, recent developments were increasing Athena's power base. Ares felt it his duty to restore balance to the equation; by unseating his sister, while also carving out an empire for himself.

The smile fades from Athena's face. "I sense treachery in you, brother... do not seek to cause my champion ill. You will not find her, nor I, wanting."

Ares smiles darkly. "I have walked that road before... I am _**fully**_ aware of her capabilities... besides; having her amongst man serves my purpose as well..."

Athena, curious as to what he could mean, questions him. "You serve _**only**_ chaos and destruction. Diana serves a higher purpose."

"Yes of course... of course... I'm sorry to have disturbed you..." Ares stands, bowing respectfully. "Give my best to our father, will you?"

"Stand fast, Ares..." Athena stands to bar her brother's exit. "Explain yourself."

"Sister, surely my words need no explanation. Are you not the very embodiment of wisdom itself?"

"Play no games with me, Ares... or-"

"Peace, sister." Ares holds up his hands to stem her angry words. "I meant no disrespect. It is just... have you not noticed it?"

Athena continues to glare at her brother, her anger rising. "_**Enlighten me**_."

Ignoring the urge to further needle the goddess of wisdom, Ares answers her. "The world has become an even more fitting place for one such as I. And it is, in large part, thanks to your champion..."

"She seeks to bring peace to an unstable world-!" Athena argues.

"A futile quest, as we both know... but since leaving the cozy confines of her island, there has been even _**greater violence, destruction, chaos**_... It is the rule of escalation dear sister." Ares chuckles. "Muskets begat riffles. Tanks begat missiles... Bulletproof vests led to armor piercing rounds... it's why I love mankind so dearly. **No one** is more creative in bringing about their own destruction... and your Diana is just tinder to the flame..." Ares laughs louder, turning from a red faced Athena.

"You are wrong, Ares!" Her words now lack the venom they previously held.

Knowing that he has Athena exactly where he wants her, he stops laughing and turns to her. "Am I?" He asks, stepping closer to her. "Every moment that she stands with the warriors of Earth, she becomes more like _**them**_; ill-tempered, jealous, violent... haughty. Surely you can sense the change in her. She no longer _**reasons**_ with her enemy, she simply pummels them into submission. Not exactly the Amazonian way, is it?" Ares watches her expression shift into doubt and pounces on the opportunity, grabbing her shoulders consolingly. "Sister, I'm sorry... perhaps... perhaps_** none**_ borne of mud and clay are fit to champion peace... we are only the sum of our parts, are we not?"

This time Ares leaves for good, satisfied that his sister will not seek to stop him.

**-Titan's Tower, Infirmary-**

Rose walks into the room to see Starfire resting peacefully.

She may not have had the greatest relationship with her fellow Titans, but she still hated to see anyone suffer. Especially if that pain came at the hands of her father.

For a long time she_** sought**_ his approval, did all she could to be considered worthy of being his heir, but Slade Wilson, she learned, could not be satisfied. He had no love for anyone except himself, no interest in_** anything**_ other than his own goals. Goals she could never figure out.

At times he seemed to be nothing more than a hit man for hire. Other times he had agendas so twisted and complicated that they bordered on Machiavellian.

Although she has long since left that life behind, a part of her will always wonder what might have been. Perhaps she would have been alongside Slade today, taking on Spiderman and Starfire. She smiles a little at the thought of testing her skills against Peter. They had sparred against one another before, but she wondered who would come out on top in a no holds barred contest. She shakes free of that thought and looks up to find the Peter literally pacing the ceiling.

"Bird-boy would have a fit if he knew you were doing that..." She was surprised to find him there. He seemed to be able to move about even more quietly than Batman himself.

He had shed his uniform for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, which made the fact that he was walking on the ceiling seem more out of place. With a shrug, Peter calmly walks down the wall until he is level with Rose. The tablet device in his hands is currently demanding all his attention as he manipulates the screen.

"Thought I'd find you here..." Rose interjects, hoping to get his attention.

"You thought right..." Peter answers dryly continuing to pay the device all his attention.

"We got here as soon as we could…" When she arrived with the rest at the Tower, everyone fell into their respective roles.

Robin and Cyborg immediately rushed to check on the security. Bart, Beetle and Beast boy left to run a sweep of the grounds. Raven and Miss Martian attended to Starfire's wounds. All of which left Rose with nothing to do. Curiosity caused her to review the training room footage of Peter's fight with her father.

What she saw there intrigued her.

"I know." Gone was the usual playful smile, in its place was a scowl she'd seen on Robin's face a time or two. He was in _**detective mode**_ as Beast Boy called it. When Robin was like this he would snap if you interrupted him. Peter was little more even tempered, but he obviously didn't want to be disturbed.

She couldn't blame him.

Slade's attack came out of nowhere. He hadn't surfaced in months to bother the Titans; in fact the last time they'd seen him, he seemed completely uninterested in causing them any grief. Now he attacks their newest member while somehow bypassing the security on his way in and on his way out. On the surface, none of it made any sense to her, so she could only imagine how confused Peter must be.

"You look pretty good, considering you went mano a arana with my fa- with Deathstroke..." Rose watched the exchange twice before coming to find Peter. She'd seen plenty of Meta's give her father a run for his money, but eventually he always won. Seeing the fight with Peter, she knew for a fact that Peter threw this fight. The punch he got tagged with was so slow; a child could have dodged it. Someone trained by Batman should have been able to avoid it easily.

Peter looks up to face Rose Wilson. "Trust me, you're _**ten times**_ the fighter that jerk is." There is a small smirk that threatens at the corners of his mouth.

She blushes at the compliment, but regains her composure long enough to utter a confident: "Damn right I am!" Rose takes another look at her injured team mate. "So, what's the prognosis? Goldilocks going to be flittering around campus anytime soon?" There would be time to question Peter about the fight later, for now she wanted to shake him from this funk he was in. She didn't like seeing him like this. She liked it even less that the alien girl might be the cause of his anxiety.

Peter chuckles, running a nervous hand through his hair. "According to Cyborg, in a week or so. The blade was coated with some sort of toxin... slows the healing process to a crawl, even for someone like Kory..."

Rose nods allowing silence to fall between them, taking another look at the alien girl. Even wounded as she was, the girl was strikingly beautiful. Although on the outside she appears nonchalant; on the inside she groans.

She was surrounded by perfection.

Starfire, Supergirl, Wonder Girl, Miss Martian, none of them ever had to worry about what a cheeseburger would do to their thighs, or what a pizza could do to their stomachs. Superhuman metabolism's kept them young, fit and pretty without them even breaking a sweat. Everything they had, everything they were, was simply a matter of birth.

Or a yellow sun.

Or their shape-shifting ability.

She knew she could stand toe to toe with anyone of them on the field of battle, but Rose would never be the object of affection they were. They set a bar that only they had a hope of reaching.

Before _**he**_ showed up, she couldn't have cared less. Of the boys who she associated with before Peter joined, only Robin would be considered a viable option for something other than friendship. But his relationship with the Spoiler and their own past history made him a very unlikely option.

She couldn't deny that there was something very endearing about Peter. In her mind he seemed to embody all the best qualities of her teammates. He was funny, like Gar, without being a pervert. Just as skilled in combat as Robin and just as intelligent, without being as serious.

_**Doesn't hurt that he has a killer bod either, right Rose?**_

"You hungry?" The thought was so foreign to her it caused her blurt it out louder than she meant to.

Peter glances warily back at Kory, obviously unsure if he should leave her.

Rose rolls her eyes dramatically. "If the Tin Man says she'll be okay, _**she'll be okay**_."

Peter raises an eyebrow at her, smiling. "_**Tin Man**_, huh? Does Vic know you call him that?"

"It's a term of endearment..." She smiles saucily happy to pull him from his brooding for a moment.

Peter frowns slightly. "I really should keep going through this data..." Peter had recovered some information from Slade's cell phone. The bad news was that it was obviously a pre-paid phone and he hadn't kept very long. The good news was there were some details on it regarding his recent assignment including several photos of Spiderman in action. If studied, it might shed some light on how long Slade had been tailing him and from where.

Rose grabs his arm, surprised at the coiled muscle she finds there. "Listen bug breath: I asked you out of _**courtesy**_. Now I'm telling you; let's get something to eat."

"Kinda demanding aren't you?" He's smiling now, although he hasn't moved. Rose, for her part is enjoying the excuse she has to touch him.

"Only when I don't get my way!" She tries to lock her leg around his to trip him, but he leaps high into the air, sticking to the ceiling with one hand, holding the tablet with the other.

"Hey!" Peter laughs, knowing that she had just tried to trip him. "I could've dropped this!"

"Then get down here and I won't have to break your toy!" Rose threatened.

**-Star City, Warehouse District-**

"Careful Puddin', you don't wanna break yer new toy do ya?"

"Not likely, Harley, my dear..." Joker answers just a bit out of breath. "These Amazonians are made of sterner stuff..." He brings his arm down again with ferocity, the whip he wields causes three angry lines to appear on the upper thigh of Wonder Woman.

Diana does not cry out, even though it takes all her will not to.

After the last injection took hold, she passed out, only to wake up naked, tied to a roof beam. With barely any time to realize her situation, the beatings began. The abuse steadily progressed from bad to worse, leaving every inch of her feeling raw. At this point it would almost be a relief for the assault to turn sexual. A thought that makes her shudder in disgust and despair.

When she was younger her mother refused to tell her exactly why men were forbidden on the island. On the occasions that Diana would question her about it, Hippolyta would kiss her forehead lovingly and assure her that it was nothing she needed to know about. She told her daughter that some things are best not to speak about. Of course this only fueled her curiosity further. She questioned anyone she would meet. Her teachers, her trainers, it didn't deter her one bit that they offered her no information.

Eventually she crossed paths with Ares. The God of War had no issue detailing the atrocities of the Greeks of old. In fact, he seemed almost wistful when detailing those events of long ago.

He told her about the rapes and tortures that her sisters were subjected to on a daily basis. Before they gained the attention of Zeus and Athena they were receptacles for whatever man deemed them worthy of. Often it wasn't much. Ares called it "the good ol' days" with a sneer that disgusted her thoroughly. It was then that Diana understood why her mother's hatred ran so deeply.

But after being among the noble men of the Justice League she had forgotten that many men were simply evil down to the bone.

"Maybe ya oughta give her a little break, Puddin'? Red says that concoction she and the witch mixed up makes her as weak as a kitten..." Diana looks down at the whimpering Harley Quinn and a ball of white hot anger forms in her heart. Here was a woman, like herself, protesting not the treatment, but the duration of it.

"I. Hate. Kittens!" Each angry word punctuated by an additional slash, fueling her anger further. Batman had always told her that anger under the right circumstances could be beneficial. Now it was giving her the strength to keep her senses, but she honestly didn't know how much more she could stand. Joker seemed to have limitless energy when it came to doling out punishment.

"Seems a shame to destroy such a beautiful specimen, Amigo." Bane enters the room, leaning against the wall obviously irritated.

"How's a body 'sposed to get any work done here with all these interruptions?" Diana knows that Joker isn't angry over the interruptions; he's frustrated over the fact that since he began she has not uttered a single word of protest. From seeing him interact with Harley she could tell that it was fear that aroused him, that satisfied him. So far she had given him no satisfaction.

"A better question may be..." Bane lifts Joker in the air by his throat. "How does you torturing this puta from de Justice League, get us the results you promised?"

"Ack... You really... need to ease up... on the steroids cough... it's making you all ragey..."

Since first being brought here, Black Mask and Bane have both kept their distance, but it was clear they had a major stake in this as well. Of all the Arkham prisoners that have escaped those two seemed to be the only once with a real agenda. Even though their agenda included allying themselves with an insane clown with a penchant for chemicals and gases.

"We have been more than patient, amigo..." Bane tightens his grip on the clown, causing a perverted ripple of delight to streak through Diana as he gasps for air. "When we broke free of Arkham, promises were made of conquest and cash. Instead we've done nothing but hang out in this dank hovel listening to you and the strumpet over there rut like pigs." The crime boss Black Mask enters the room, completely uninterested in the nude Amazonian hanging from the rafters.

"Don't forget Baney, ol' bean. You would have never _**"escaped"**_ in the first place had it not been for this amigo… You would still be strapped to a wall in Arkham being fed congealed ham through a tube!" Joker argues, in between gasps.

Bane nods. "Si, that may be true… but if I had known what "freedom" came with, I would have declined." With that Bane tightens his grip on the clowns' neck..

"The Penguin seeks to invade my territory and I'm here watching an impotent clown get his jollies by beating up women... I think it's time to cut our losses...kill him Bane. He has nothing to offer us." Diana's eyes widen in surprise as Bane twists his wrist and the audible crack echoes through the room. Bane unceremoniously drops the lifeless body of the Joker to the floor.

There's a strange sound coming from Harley and at first Diana thinks the woman must be crying.

She's wrong.

"Is she laughing?" Bane asks incredulously. Likely prepared more for hysterics than her strange laughter.

"Now, now Harley..." Three sets of eyes follow the voice, all mirroring the same expression of disbelief. Diana watches as Joker gets to his feet adjusting his neck casually. "It's rude to laugh _**before**_ the punch line is delivered..."

**-Watchtower Control Room-**

"These cameras aren't on the Tower grid…"

"No. They are not." Batman answers Green Lanterns observation coolly. They were now looking at the interior of Diana's room. As far as they knew none of the personal quarters had cameras in them.

They really should have known better.

"You have access to our-"

"They are a necessary precaution." Batman cuts Hawkgirl's protest off midstream, still scrolling through the feed. "These cameras can only be accessed if J'onn, Superman and I all authorize it. If anyone else tries, the data is automatically scrubbed and the control room locks down."

"So you _**didn't**_ build yourself a back door in…?" Green Lantern knows that if anyone could get around something like this, it would be Batman.

Batman turns to face the man with a stare cold and humorless. "No I did not. But perhaps I should…"

"Stop it there, look!"

All eyes turn back to the monitors as they see Diana walk over to the door and allow Batman to enter her room. For a moment the two appear to be speaking.

"No audio?"

"The fact that there are cameras in our rooms isn't enough for you, John?"

Before John can answer Hawkgirl, Batman envelopes a surprised Wonder Woman in a kiss.

"I knew it!" Flash yells excitedly. Everyone turns back to look at Flash. "What? You were _**all **_thinking it…!"

Hawkgirl snickers as Diana grabs Batman by the throat and lifts him in the air, but the mood darkens as Batman changes into someone they are all familiar with.

"Circe…"

They notice with confusion Diana stumbling about, obviously weakened. When the witch begins beating on Wonder Woman, everyone except Batman turned away. He wanted those images burned in his head. At the end Circe didn't exit, so much as simply vanishes with and unconscious Wonder Woman under her arm.

"How…?"

"Zatanna…"

"I'll bring in Fate… we'll sweep the room… see what we can pick up."

Batman nods and stands to face his teammates. They all wear the same expression anger and disgust.

"What can we do?" Gone is any playfulness from Flash's demeanor.

"I'm going to go see Hiro, he's the only one who could have created these dupes. The only one with the ability to meld Kryptonian and earth technology and I'm done pretending that he's not responsible. GL, I want you and J'onn to conduct interviews with the members of the League."

"All of them?" John asks, thinking about the sheer magnitude of the task.

"No one outside of this room can be vouched for." Batman states gravely. No one questions how he can be so sure, the time for that has passed. "Between your ring and J'onn's telepathy you should be able to root out the suspect."

"If there is one." Superman counters, holding out hope that the possibility exists that no one here had a hand in this. Batman flashes Superman a look, but doesn't say anything. He hopes too that he's wrong, even if he doesn't think he is.

"Shouldn't someone go to Diana's home? If Circe is involved surely the Amazonians can shed some light on things?" Hawkgirl offers.

Themyscira is not a place where the Justice League has been welcome, a visit to that island typically causes more harm than good.

This time it's Superman that answers. "Shayera, that's a may no be the best idea given what's going on…"

"Don't you think that Hippolyta has a right to know that something has happened to her daughter?" Hawkgirl yells angrily.

Superman opens his mouth to protest, but this time Batman interjects. "She's right Superman." Shayera looks at him surprise. Twice in the last few minutes the Dark Knight has surprised her. "Hawkgirl, you know that men are not allowed on that island, but I'm not in favor of the idea of you going there yourself…"

"I can handle myself, Batman." Hawkgirl counters defensively.

"I don't disagree, but the fact that all this has taken place with Ares and Circe and we haven't heard word one from Olympus or Themyscira. We have no idea what could be awaiting you on that island."

"I… I didn't think of that."

"What about Vixen?" Flash offers. "She's an established member and a good fighter…" Flash's voice trailed off when he sees the looks of his teammates. "What?"

"Wally that's not a good idea…" Green Lantern whispers casting a wary glance in Hawkgirl's direction. Since the invasion was thwarted, things between Green Lantern and Hawkgirl had been strained. Most of it was due to Shayera's role in the plot, but a large part was also due to John dating the heroine Vixen. The transition from lover back to teammate was complicated enough already without adding the "New Girlfriend" scenario.

"No." Hawkgirl steps in. "It's a great idea." John doesn't bother to hide his surprise at her comment. "Green Lantern, you'll want to verify Mari's identity first and I want to head to Themyscira as quickly as possible. She's a proven warrior who I would be honored to have at my side."

This time everyone stands in shock. John isn't sure if he should be relieved, confused or concerned, but Batman rescues him from his own thoughts. "Get on it then." Batman turns to leave but is halted by Superman's hand.

"Should I go with you to speak to Hiro?"

"No. I have something else I need you to take care of..."

_**A/N: Next up: Hiro has a bad night, an awkward jet ride to the island of women and Joker's wild... eh... WILD-ER!**_


	14. With answers come more questions

_**A/N: My thanks and appreciation goes out to my reviewers! Your words of kindness motivate my fingers! Which is why, even on vacation now in beautiful Costa Rica, I have an update! Keep it coming people! And Enjoy!**_

**-Titans HQ, dining room-**

"Stop looking so surprised!"

"I think given the situation, _**surprise**_ is a completely acceptable reaction..."

When Rose asked him, or told him to be more accurate, to join her for dinner, Peter expected a fast food order or at most a sandwich. Not the meal spread out before him. He watched as Rose made them a meal of beef stir fry with brown rice. She then proceeded to make her own gravy and serve it to him with what resembled a smile.

"I woulda been happy with a burger and fries…"

"The calories and fat in that sentence… You can't put _**unleaded**_ in a _**Ferrari**_…"

"I see myself as more of an _**Aston Martin**_…"

"Petey, I was talking about _**me**_. You're more like a Yugo…"

"Ouch."

She sat across from him, obviously interested in his reaction. She only ever cooked for herself or for her father, so she was curious to know what Peter thought.

"Well?" She asks impatiently, taking a bite of her vegetables.

"Can't talk. Too busy eating."

Rose beams radiantly, aware she seems to do a lot of smiling in his presence. "You can at least nod if you like it."

"So you think I'm shoveling this food into my mouth like a starving man because I hate it?" Peter raises an eyebrow in Rose's direction. "Who taught you how to cook like this anyway?"

Rose's smile fades a bit as she answers. "My mom... you know-" Rose runs a nervous hand through her silver locks and for a brief moment appears to be every bit the teenage girl she is. "... sometimes I wonder how things might have turned out... if I just grew up normal..."

Peter nods, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. He understood exactly what she meant. Even though his past before waking up in Gotham was completely blank to him, he couldn't imagine his childhood could have been any more ordinary before now. Not considering how comfortable he was with the unusual.

The two eat in silence for a moment, Peter's hand still holding hers across the table. Peter is focused on his plate otherwise he would see red tint forming on Rose's face. Rose once attempted to seduce Robin in order to cement her standing in the Titans by waiting for him naked in his bed, yet, she was a stranger to simple kindness. When Nightwing trained her, he was nice enough to become her first crush, but his interest in her wasn't the same as hers in him. Though she couldn't be sure, she felt Peter liked her.

"Of course then you wouldn't have met Beast Boy..." Peter quips trying to lighten the mood. For .a moment Rose just looks at him curiously

"It's true...You haven't really lived until you've caught Beast Boy in the girls' shower posing as a cockroach..." Rose agrees with a small smirk. Although she never told him, she caught him several times playing peeping shape shifter. It didn't bother her as much as it did the others; she enjoyed the attention, as long as he never went further than looking. Personally she found his touch unsettling, but he was much more interested in fondling Raven and Starfire than flirting with the girl with the eye patch.

"Something smells wonderful in here!"

Both look up to see the red-headed Martian.

Peter smiles pointing his fork at Rose. "You can thank Rose for that. I'm thinking of quitting the superhero thing and become her manager. I can see it now: _**killer meals you can make with a katana**_."

M'gann lifts the lid to a pan to inspect the food, while Rose shoots Peter a venomous look.

"What?" Peter whispers.

"You think I want the world knowing I can cook? Now they're gonna start asking _**me**_ to take a turn on kitchen duty!" Rose groans.

"Hmm... I don't see a downside to this for me..." Peter murmurs, continuing to eat.

Rose smirks nastily. "Oh give it a moment, bug boy, give it a moment."

"Not to split hairs here, but you do know that spiders are _**not technically**_ bugs, right?"

"Maybe not, but they respond just like any other bug when they meet my boot!" Rose then lifts her leg and rests it on the table in front of him. Showing off heels that should be impossible to walk in, let alone fight in. "They squeal, squirm, and beg for mercy..."

"Rose! Should you be talking like that in front of M'gann? That's a little kinky for her virgin ears..." Peter then begins caressing the leather of her boot playfully.

"I'm sure she's heard _**worse**_ coming from Beast Boy's bedroom..."

M'gann, who had been paying minimal attention to the exchange turns as red as her green skin will allow. "I- I'm gonna go now..." M'gann quickly makes herself a plate of vegetables and rice and disappears from the room. Once sure she's no longer within earshot, the two laugh out loud.

"Who knew you had a naughty side, Peter?"

"Must be your bad influence..."

"I've been known to influence a boy or two in my time..."

"I bet..." Peter stands from the table picking up the plates, to take them to the kitchen.

"You don't have to do that..." Rose offers standing herself. This was beginning to feel too intimate for her, even if on some level it's exactly what she wanted.

"Nuh uh. "_**Let she who cooks it; never have to wash a dish**_"."

"Who said that?'

"May... my..."

"Maymy? Is that a poet or something?" Rose asks confused. Peter's face seems equally lost. She can tell his distress goes beyond just remembering a name.

She'd seen other Titans go through this type of anguish; memory loss. But it was normally due to some villain messing around with their brain, or a blow to the head that caused some short term memory loss. Peter was a blank slate. It was as if someone wrote his entire life on a blackboard, washed it clean, and all he had left was residue.

To not have a history at all, Rose imagined, was terrible. To constantly be tormented by small fragments that slip through your fingers before you can really grab any sort of hold, has to be worse.

"I-"And just like that it's gone, the sliver of whatever that was, is gone. Leaving behind a whisper that tugs at his heart. "Ugh!" In his frustration, he shatters the plates in his hands, sending shards to the floor and cutting himself.

"It's okay Peter... it's alright..." Rose reassures grabbing a kitchen towel to stop the bleeding. She takes the pieces from him setting them on the counter.

"Thanks... sorry if I ruined..."

"Shut up, Peter!" She didn't mean to be so harsh, but Peter would blame himself for the bad economy, global warming and reality television if you let him. "It's fine." She says in a softer tone. "If anyone understands how frustrating it can be to not know who you are..."

Peter looks down at Rose and shakes his head. They stand close enough that he can smell the vanilla scented shampoo clinging to her hair. When their eyes meet, he can see just how much she does in fact understand and when she caresses his face consolingly, he leans in closer.

"You're vibrating."

Peter nods. "Cell phone. Probably Batman." He leans in closer.

"Shouldn't you answer it?" Rose asks breathlessly. She doesn't want him to answer. The world could be burning to the ground right now and she wouldn't care at all.

"Yes..." with their lips a breath away from each other he uses his good hand to answer. "Hello?"

A gruff voice he is all too familiar with responds with two words. "Outside. Now."

**-The Underworld, one year ago-**

"Tell me nephew, how is my niece doing?"

"Heard about that, did you?"

"Of course, you of all people know how much of a gossip Dionysus is..."

"Yes..." Ares grumbles irritated. "You would think the God of wine would know how to hold his alcohol better..."

"Well, you don't need to ply him with drink to get him to talk..." Hades confesses with a dark smile. "But even a blind man could see that you're scheming something..."

Ares returns the smile with one of his own. "Uncle, we live in a truly _**wondrous**_ time."

Hades gestures to a seat, while taking one opposite of it. "Tell me. Tell me about this _**age of wonders**_..."

Ares takes the seat and collects his thoughts. He knew that unlike his sister, Hades could not be manipulated. If he wanted to get what he wanted he would need to give Hades something of greater value. Or at least make it appear so.

"Man has reached the point where their ability to harm each other is only surpassed by their desire to do so... you've seen this... _**benefited**_ from it even."

Hades doesn't acknowledge his words; he simply continues to listen with his arms folded.

Undaunted, Ares continues. "Your brother has never been _**weaker**_, while you have never been _**stronger**_-"

"... and you seek to ally yourself with me to help you take Olympus..." Hades finishes.

Ares shakes his head, secretly happy that Hades jumped to this conclusion. He knows it will make what follows much easier. "No. I've never wanted the ivory throne. You know me, Uncle. I've no desire to be _**Lord of Olympus**_. I've always preferred the earth to the heavens."

"Much to my brother's chagrin..." Zeus had always held out hope that Ares and Athena would join him in ruling the realms above and below. Neither were terribly interested in that. Athena was wise enough to know that responsibility simply brought more anguish into your life. Ares knew that even if given a throne, his father would never relinquish the supreme position he held.

"Well, my father's plans have never matched my own... something we have in common..."

"You will not find me as easy to manipulate as your sister. Neither _**honey**_ nor _**vinegar**_ will move me to action."

"Then let me get to the point." Ares stands and takes a goblet of fire from a nearby stand; he waves his hand over it converting the flame to water. He takes a sip enjoying the look of surprise on Hades face. "My own power base has increased as well. _**Conflict**_ is the word of the day and within those conflicts I grow stronger."

Hades snorts derisively. "Still no match for me or your father."

"Fortunate for me then, that is not my aim. I wish this world to be mine."

"A goal you cannot attain without my aid."

"You benefit as well uncle. With Zeus usurped you could assign any you wish to be caretaker of this domain; even he who cast you here in the first place. Within the golden halls of Olympus there are a bevy of treasures to be had-"

"You sound just like Poseidon... he had a scheme too... now he is unable to leave the watery deep. His _**kingdom **_is his prison. Is that what you hope for me?"

Ares, fighting to keep his patience, laughs. "Are you _**not**_ confined here?" Ares spreads his hands and points to Hades surroundings. "To leave this realm without Zeus' permission is to incur his wrath. He places this restriction under the guise of protection for the precious ones of Earth, but we know the truth of it is that you _**disgust him**_. You are the disregarded brother. And now, now that you are literally _**flush**_ with power, you still keep to his antiquated commands? The ruler of death, fears to live. I suppose there is some humor in that..." The second the words have left his mouth, Hades has pinned him by his head to a stone column.

"I warned you of manipulating me, nephew." The anger on Hades face is real and Ares knows he has struck the right cord.

"And I told you that I am not here for that. I seek an alliance that stands to benefit the both of us. You are the one who continues to try and make an enemy of me."

Hades relaxes his grip. "What are you asking?"

Ares collects himself. "Nothing much. You know the location of _**certain artifacts**_ that I will need to put my plan in action..."

Now Hades lets him go completely and laughs. "You seek to reunite the four pieces? Zeus will never allow you to do so."

"Allow me?" Ares returns. "He would need to climb down off his seat long enough to stop me. Besides, you know he refuses to interfere directly in human affairs." Ares could not seek to reunite them himself, but there were others he could employ to do this work. Once gathered, it would be too late to stop their use.

Hades appears to be considering. "And how does your treasure hunt aid me?"

"In any conflict, there are _**casualties**_. I intend to make sure of that. And as you know there are certain deaths that have an even more profound effect on your realm and you in particular..."

Hades walks away from Ares, deep in thought. Ares knew that this was it.

If Hades refused to show him where the pieces were then he was finished before he could begin. He also was running the risk that Hades himself knew their _**true purpose**_ and now that he's reminded of them he may use them for himself. They were a long forgotten security measure that could humble the powerful, bring the mighty to their knees. If Hades remembered their true use, Ares knew he would learn firsthand that there are fates worse than death.

And in his opinion there were others more deserving of such a lesson.

"...I will show you their locations, but they will not be easy to recover... it's not just a matter of _**where**_, there are... _**conditions **_that need to be met in order for them to reveal themselves... you already know this..."

Ares smiles. "That I do, which is why I need one additional thing from you..."

**-Star City, Warehouse district-**

"Now I know what you're thinking: _**I just snapped Joker's neck and boy... is my jaw broken**_."

"Wha-?"

Joker hits Bane with a set of titanium knuckles dropping the behemoth unconscious to the floor. Black Mask recovers his senses long enough to reach for a gun. "Ah, ah," Joker warns holding a handheld detonation device. "This whole room is lined with explosives, if you so much as sneeze funny I paint the walls with your entrails."

"Lunatic, you're in here _**with me**_!"

"Do I seem to be the sort concerned with such details? So... what's it's gonna be, Skeletor?" Diana looks over at the former crime boss and relaxes when he removes his hands from his jacket and holds them up. "Aw... I wanted to see your face when you called my bluff and found your legs dangling from the ceiling fan..." Joker looks over at Harley, giving her a nod.

Harley gets up from her prone position and removes the gun from his belt. Only after tossing it to Joker does she deactivate the device in Black Mask's belt. Sliding free a small bit of C-4 and detonator cord.

"You wired me?" Black Mask yells taking a step towards Joker.

Joker holds up the detonator again. "More than once, so I would _**watch**_ my tone." Confident now that Black Mask plans on behaving, Joker continues. "I have friends on the Arkham hospital board... as well as in the dentist's office... or at least I _**used to**_..."

Black Mask rubs his jaw, no doubt remembering a recent cavity he had filled. Joker nods.

"Yup. Shoulda taken better care of your teeth... Actually I had always assumed you didn't _**have**_ any real teeth of your own left... shows what I know huh?"

"Are you even the real Joker?"

As if he forgot she was in the room, Joker is startled by Diana's voice. Despite the risk of speaking up and drawing attention back to herself, she had to know. There had been a duplicate in Arkham as well as one currently at the Watchtower. If he commissioned two, she reasoned, why not a third?

"Do you think a duplicate could be programmed with my dramatic flair? My savoir faire? Often imitated, _**never **_duplicated, Princess... hold on a moment." Joker turns away from Diana and begins punching Black Mask repeatedly in the face. Although it's clear the man is unconscious after the first blow he continues punching, laughing maniacally as he does. By the time he finishes, the mask that's bonded to his face bears several cracks. "There. That's better. For us at least; he is gonna wake up with one heck of a headache..." Joker claps his hands and a few moments later the Harley double enters the room. "Be a lamb and deposit these two in the recycler... waste not, want not, I always say..." The double effortlessly picks both men up and leaves. "Harley A, see to it that Harley B properly secures them, will you?"

"Sure thang, Puddin'!" Once Harley skips off, Joker turns back to Diana smiling.

"She thinks I call it _**Harley B**_, because it's second to her... truth is the "B" stands for "_**Better**_"..."

"Charming."

"Now to answer your question more succinctly." Joker pulls Diana's head back by her thick black hair. Exposing her neck to a blade he seemed to produce out of thin air. In the enclosed space she can smell the dried blood on the blade. He glides it across her skin, so she can tell that despite its very recent use it is sharp. "I made a little deal with a mutual friend of ours so that little things like broken necks can't stop me... or bullets... or a bomb... not even venereal diseases and heaven knows I _**need**_ protection from that."

"Circe." Diana answers angrily.

"Oh no sweetie... it's so _**much bigger**_ than that... let me explain..." But in stead of speaking Joker opens his shirt, bearing his chest.

"Hera… no…"

**-Batjet, high above Star City-**

"… that's terrible…"

"It's another distraction…" Batman answers, while keeping his eyes on the sky in front of him. He could easily switch to autopilot, but he needs something to do. Turns out he needs a distraction from his own thoughts. All he keeps thinking about is what does Circe plan on doing with Diana, or if she is even still alive at this point.

Circe's plan had always been for Diana's death. Her traps were whimsical in nature, but the end of the matter was always the same; she wanted the Amazonian dead.

"From what though?" Spiderman asks, fidgeting with his gauntlet. The material was bothering his hand. The cut wasn't deep and it was quickly healing, but it was still tender.

"Slade do that to your hand?" Batman asks noticing Peter's obvious discomfort. When he told him of his altercation with Slade he was surprised to find Peter in such good shape. Batman's first altercation with the mercenary had not gone as smoothly. For that matter, many of his subsequent bouts with Slade had all been somewhat disastrous. Peter, Batman was learning, was truly a being with unlimited potential.

"No. I- man... you would think someone with the proportionate agility of a spider wouldn't be as clumsy..." Peter wants to explain what happened. That he had a moment where a fragment of something of his past life nearly snuck through the permanent haze in his mind. And that out of frustration he injured himself. But whatever relationship he and Batman shared, whatever it could be classified as, he wasn't sure that they were at that level.

"I know that things are difficult for you, Peter," Batman states obviously aware of something troubling Peter. He'd seen it before with both Dick and Tim, but where they'd lost people close to them, Peter lost his entire life. While it was true he was building a new one for himself now, the whole in his life his amnesia represented could not be filled. "You haven't really had time to process _**why**_ you're here or what the reason is behind your amnesia, but I promise you when we resolve this current situation, I will help you unravel your past. No matter how long it takes."

Something like the ghost of a smile crosses Batman's face and he places a comforting hand on the shoulder of Peter. With that simple act, he manages, for now at least, to soothe the restless thoughts of his mind.

"Don't worry about me; we have to focus on Wonder Woman."

Batman nods and turns back to the controls. "We start with Hiro."

"What makes you so sure the kid is involved? Hasn't he helped the League out before?"

"Hiro... like anyone gifted beyond normal men and women... has always walked a fine line between hero and villain. We thought by making him an honorary member that it would keep him from following the darker path. Perhaps, we were wrong."

"How do you plan on convincing him to help us?" Spiderman knew that Batman had spoken to Hiro before and Hiro spun a story to send them on a wild goose chase. The only one who'd really been affected by his tale was Nightwing. Who had been following an IT support guy for apparently no reason. Sure he learned that the man was hacking computers for the local crime syndicate, but that was small potatoes compared to this. Nightwing and his new partner shut him down with relative ease and were no closer to any answers.

"I'm going to ask him... _**very firmly**_."

Peter turns away thinking.

He knew that Batman could persuade you with either the stick or with the rebar. The stick could often be disguised as the carrot, but there was no mistaking the rebar for anything other than exactly what it was; your last chance to cooperate. In truth, Peter had never seen what happened to the uncooperative, because no one ever chose _**not**_ to cooperate. But he worried that with this situation, it may not even matter to Batman if Hiro did cooperate. Diana means that much to him and everyone knew it, even if the man himself refused to openly acknowledge it.

"You don't approve." Batman states not looking at Peter.

"It's just... these dupes and the way they're being used... just doesn't seem like his style. There's no childlike element to them. They're tools of destruction."

"I agree and even though I believe Hiro is guilty, I recognize that on some level he may also be innocent..."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough..."

**-Himalayans, Hiro's Hideout-**

"Wish I'd packed the Artic gear..."

"You'll have your opportunity to warm up soon..."

"What do you- down!" Spiderman shoves Batman to the side as the two narrowly avoid getting tagged by: "_**Power Girl**_?"

From his knees, Batman turns to Peter and smirks. "Not quite, but this is further proof that we were right in coming here." Floating above them, the red and blue clad wonder fires her heat vision at Spiderman melting the snow into a steam in front of him. She then uses the steam as cover, delivering a punch through it. Out of instinct, Peter grabs her arm with the damaged hand; the pain leaves him open for her follow up punch which sends him rocketing through the air.

She's on him in a flash, attempting to press her advantage, but despite his vulnerable position, he's ready for her. Firing twin webs that strike both her shoulders, he pulls, using her to slingshot himself from flailing target to missile. Knowing he can't afford to pull his punch he puts everything he has into one swing.

It connects with the area just above her nose and now she is the one sent screaming through the air.

He drops to the ground and watches her strike a nearby rock mass, going through it. While she pulls herself from the rubble, he scans the area to see if he can spy Batman.

_**How the heck does a guy dressed in a black cape and cowl, manage to disappear in the middle of a snow capped mountain?**_

He doesn't have much time to wonder as Power Girl resumes her assault.

His senses keep him just ahead of most of her punches, but a few sneak in. He can tell by the force of the blows that although she is obviously extremely durable, her strength level is nowhere near the level of the original. Her speed is also shy of Power Girl's; the only reason his head is still attached to his body. With the right amount of speed it wouldn't matter how much his Spider Sense screamed at him, he would be too late.

"Alright, alright, jeez! It's not like she's programmed to kill!" Peter turns slightly in the direction of the voice in time to hear Hiro say something in Japanese. Power Girl instantly stops her attack.

Spiderman walks past the now frozen Power Girl to where Batman is standing with the slightly red-faced Hiro. He has Hiro tied up and is dragging him about by his collar.

_**Guess that answers the question of where he ran off to... don't know if I like the fact he left me out here with Boobarella though.**_

"Nice likeness. Anatomically correct?"

"What do you think?"

**-Watchtower, Vixen's room-**

"You might as well come in; I can hear you breathing Shayera..."

Shayera opens the door to find Vixen standing in front of her closet, looking for something to wear. "Vixen-"

"You hear to apologize? Cause if you are, you can save your breath."

"Apologize?" Shayera asks confused.

Vixen turns to face her with a look of amused anger. "You gonna tell me that you didn't have anything to do with that inquisition I just went through? Come on; at least have the guts to admit it! I know you don't like the fact that John and I are together, but that's no reason to-"

"First:" Shayera cuts off Vixen and steps completely into the room. "John is free to date _**whoever**_ he wants. I have no reason to interfere in his affairs." Vixen's expression of derision says more than any words. "Secondly, the reason for your _**interview**_ is bigger than your love life. Believe it or not, some things are not about you."

Hawkgirl then gives her the details about what's been going on the past few hours and although Vixen is not apologetic for her assumption, she's eager to help. "What can I do?"

Hawkgirl sighs, wondering why she volunteered for this course of action to begin with. Admittedly, Power Girl was off-world with Captain Atom, Aquaman and Star Girl handling a matter with the Qarians. Their seas were drying up and for a planet and people completely dependent on water it was a serious crisis. So that left the female heavy hitters at just her and Wonder Woman, but she could have plucked one of the Titans for this mission. In a pinch, Superman would probably have approved it. "I need you to come with me to Themyscira, talk to Hippolyta-"

"-And try to get a lead on where we can find that witch Circe." Vixen finishes with a smirk. After hearing what happened with Diana, she was all too eager to exact some payback.

"Right. And since males aren't allowed on the island..."

"So you chose me because I have the required parts?"

"Does it matter?" Shayera asks not answering her question.

"No. For the chance to help out Diana I'd team up with the devil _**herself**_ to do it."

**-Watchtower, hangar-**

"I _**am**_ licensed to fly this thing-"

"That's not the point." Shayera groans, beginning the pre-flight sequence. "You can't just input the coordinates to the island in the flight plan; you have to find it by memory. No craft can reach it unless you already know where it is."

Vixen leans back in her seat, obviously skeptical. "Seems like a load to me. People seem to crash there all the time."

Hawkgirl smiles as she fires up the engines. "If you wanna crash, then by all means take over the controls. I'll be sure to report to the League that you endangered your life, Diana's and my own all for the sake of _**your pride**_."

"Ladies, you are supposed to be working _**together**_ here."

Both women turn around to find Flash standing behind them just as they clear the hangar and enter space.

"Wally! You can't be here! No man-"

"-_**Is to ever set foot on the isle of Themyscira under penalty of death**_... blah, blah, blah... Supes and Bats both have and they're walking and talking just fine. GL wanted me to tag along as support; I won't let my toes touch the sand of the beach... for more than micro second." Flash smiles winningly.

"Fine." Shayera turns back to the controls. She knows that with Flash here, Vixen will keep her snide comments to herself. So even though his presence means that John still doesn't trust her, she's happy to have him along. She couldn't concern herself with John, he was just as stubborn as she was. Nothing she could do to change things between them now.

"You really just wanted to see an island full of _**physically**_ perfect women... that's the real reason you came..." Vixen whispers.

"Never crossed my mind..."

Wally takes a seat between the two women, observing with some amusement the fact that they both seem content to glare at each other from the corners of their eyes. He may not know much, but he knew better than to try to mend the fences between this two, so he simply sat back and sipped the soda he took from the cafeteria earlier.

In all honesty he didn't get it.

So many of the women swooned over the Green Lantern's, the Batman's and the Superman's of the League; men both boring and unavailable.

_**GL is as boring as they come, with his "Sir, yes Sir!" attitude. Everything about him is regulation, even his haircut! Sure Superman is... well Super. But he's just as boring with his "aw shucks ma'am" Smallville drawl, plus he's never shown any interest in any of the women here. Ever! Batman I suppose has some appeal, if you go for tall dark and mysterious, but he's as frigid as Captain Cold's gun. **_

"Doesn't make any sense at all..." Flash mumbles.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You said: _**It doesn't make any sense at all**_... what are you talking about?" Hawkgirl asks looking at Wally curiously.

"That- ah... that Circe would be so sloppy in taking Diana..." Flash stammers, trying to cover up.

Hawkgirl looks at him shrewdly for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I think she _**wanted**_ us to know it was her."

"Why invite the wrath of over thirty super-powered heroes?" Vixen asks, managing to sound somewhat civil. She may thoroughly dislike Hawkgirl, but she had to admit, it seemed odd Circe would go through all the trouble of being unseen and then leave behind all those clues.

Hawkgirl shrugs and looks at Wally. "Any theories?"

Flash had to admit he liked that she was speaking to him as a peer whose opinion she respected and not as the goofball he often played. "Maybe it wasn't Circe at all... maybe someone wants us to go after her and waste our time... everything that has gone on has been a distraction to the real goal. Just like at a bad magic show; they got us staring in one direction, while they sneak the magician through the trap door."

For a beat both women were silent and Wally felt sure there was an insult coming.

"Damn."

"I know." Shayera nods agreeing with Vixen. "The world must be going to hell if Wally is making this much sense..."

"Hey!"

-Hiro's hideout-

"Why are you waiting so long to kill me...?"

Batman doesn't answer, he simply continues his work on Hiro's computer, attempting to hack into the secure files and find the information he's looking for.

While Spiderman had been occupied by the faux Power Girl, Batman made his way to the entrance of Hiro's compound. Because of the fact that he'd been there several times before he was able to get past most Hiro's security measures. Hiro didn't seem at all surprised to see him, not even when Batman tied him up and dragged him out into the frigid cold.

"No one's here to kill you-"

"I have questions Hiro," Batman interrupts turning from what he now realizes is a futile quest. Eventually, given time, he knows he could override his security, but time was not something he was willing to waste. "My questions require direct answers and I will do whatever is necessary in order to get them."

Spiderman opens his mouth to protest, but before he can he feels a familiar tingling in the back of his head. "Uh, Batman?"

Hiro sighs as if disappointed. "I was afraid you'd say that... _**Zorro**_!"

At first it seems as if nothing is going to happen, but then with a whoosh, Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman appear, floating behind them. Without delay, Superman cuts Hiro's bonds with his heat vision and the three form a wall in front of Hiro, poised to defend him.

"No guys," Hiro commands. "I have to do this myself." They make a hole for Hiro to step through and he stands in front of Batman and Spiderman with a large weapon. "You know the rules... I have to kill you now..."

_**A/N: Next up! Batman and Spiderman make a difficult choice, a mother's love is unleashed and a traitor is revealed!**_


	15. The plot thins

_**A/N: Long wait but this is a long chapter! The longest to date! Thanks to all those who took the time to write reviews! Keep them coming and don't hesitate to make suggestions! I have an exact idea for the progression and ending of this fic, that but doesn't mean I can't take some suggestions along the way!**_

_**Hope you enjoy**_

**-Hiro's hideout, One Year ago-**

"I don't know Bats..." Hiro had been approached before by people looking to take advantage of his aptitude for engineering and creativity, even by the Dark Knight himself, but this request didn't sit well with him.

"The threat that is coming is very real Hiro, which should be evidenced by the fact that I'm going _**outside**_ of the Justice League for help on this..." Batman was requiring Hiro do work for him without telling _**anyone**_ what he was doing or who he was doing it for.

He'd done so for him before; but this didn't feel like a request for a new bat mobile or a new bat copter. Those were situations that Hiro was used to. This felt like something completely different.

When Hiro got the call about working on a project for the League, Hiro was of course, excited. The last time he worked with the Justice League he not only got to work with his two heroes; Batman and Superman, but he also got to meet Power Girl. A woman who had a recurring role in several of his most vivid dreams; so of course when Batman showed up alone with a large container full of pirated Kryptonian technology he was both intrigued and disappointed.

Even a little skeptical.

"And you want me to create what exactly...?" Hiro would be lying if he said he wasn't figuratively drooling at the idea of working with technology this advanced. Krypton may be long gone, but by all indications that civilization was light years ahead of earth in terms of scientific achievement.

Batman holds out a thumb drive and as Hiro reaches to grab it, Batman grabs his hand so hard that Hiro winces and looks up into the opaque lenses of the Bat's cowl. "_**Exactly **_to specifications, Hiro. You are not to take _**any**_ artistic liberties with these."

"Jeez! Okay!" Hiro rubs his wrist after Batman releases it and eyes the drive greedily. This would be a great opportunity and possibly get him in good enough standing with the League for membership. Doing one favor for Batman was one thing; two was another thing altogether.

"I'm counting on you, Hiro; once again, the fate of the entire planet falls in your hands."

Hiro's chest swells with pride. "I will not let you down Batman! I promise!" Hiro walks over to his mainframe and boots up the thumb drive. When the file loads, Hiro can scarcely believe his eyes. The details of the schematics and the specifications only reinforce his early thought; _**this all seems strange**_. "You're absolutely sure _**this**_ is what you need? Why?"

Batman nods and crosses his arms, obviously in a fight for his patience. "I'm sure. And although I cannot tell you the specifics of this threat, if all goes according to plan we'll be able to repel the enemy and you will be instrumental in saving the world. Again."

Hiro is smiling from ear to ear at that, but Batman's next words wipe the smile from his face.

"But if we fail... if we fail then it will fall to you to continue the fight..." Batman steps to the side of Hiro and types in a few commands to bring up the subfolder marked "Trinity"

Hiro gasps in genuine surprise as he notes the folders' contents. "Whoa! Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Anything else I should know?"

"The delivery locations for the duplicates are grouped according to type and they are all blind drops that I can get to easily. You follow the instructions _**to the letter**_ there should be no complications."

"I can do that... even though I don't get why you'd need multiple copies of the Joker and yourself... or really copies of _**any **_villains at all..." Hiro is looking through the schematics so intensely he misses the expression that crosses Batman's face. If he had looked up he might have uncovered the reason for his apprehension.

"I'm sorry to keep you in the dark Hiro, but you know that I wouldn't if it weren't _**absolutely necessary**_."

This time Hiro nods and tries to quiet the nagging voice in his head. "How will I know the worst _**has **_happened?"

"There will be a moment… when I return here demanding answers. This is purely for appearances, so at that time you are to give me these three names..." Batman hands him a slip of paper, Hiro reads the names and opens his mouth to ask another question. "Yes, I know who they are. But it will be necessary to keep the spotlight _**off of you**_ and this will serve as diversion." Hiro nods, trusting that the man before him has covered all the angles. "However... If I return here again and I don't respond with the proper challenge response... kill_** me**_."

"Kill you?"

"If I come back and you ask me; _**Why are you waiting so long to kill me?**_ And I don't answer with: _**Because my hands are frozen **_you wait for the opportune moment and you kill me _**and**_ whoever I may happen to bring with me. Because the League has been compromised." Hidden behind the serious glare, is the hint of a satisfied smile. A more perceptive man would have picked up on this, but that's asking a lot of a teenager.

Even a brilliant one.

"I don't... I don't know if I can do that, Batman... I mean jeez! I'm more _**menace**_ than _**super villain**_!"

"I understand... then detain me and do not listen to anything I say... use whatever means you need to but I _**do not**_ leave here! Do you understand?"

Hiro still isn't confident he does, but for now he's willing to agree. "What happens if you answer correctly?"

Batman offers the rarest of smiles. "Then you know that all is well..." Batman's expression goes rigid again. "But Hiro, _**do not hesitate**_ if I answer incorrectly or not at all... you may not get another chance."

**-Hiro's Hideout, now-**

Spiderman notes with dread the copies of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

_**The Power Girl dupe was tough enough; if these three are anywhere near the same weight class, then it's gonna be a rough day...**_

"Hiro..."

Hiro cocks the large weapon he holds in his hands and shakes his head. "Nuh unh, you blew it, _**whoever you and your friend are**_, the time for talking is done." He fires a blast and everyone hits the floor. Spiderman and Batman to avoid the strike, Hiro due the recoil on the gun.

"Hotel 17."

"Ugh! I hate that one! Do I at least get _**low**_ this time?"

"No."

Being a member of the Bat Family has its advantages. Lavish living conditions, invitations to all the major Gotham City happenings, the chance to do real good in the city both in and out of costume. But there are drawbacks as well; at least they felt that way to Peter. One of them being memorizing certain situational procedures and maneuvers; executing them at the command of Batman.

Some of them were fun, like Beta 3, which in short is procuring a female asset at a party for intelligence gathering. Peter has yet to be called on for that one. Others were significantly less fun, like Hotel 17; one person was tasked with turning himself into bait for the enemy who in this case were three super-powered synthetic robots. While the other took advantage of the distraction to perform some other task critical to the mission. Every situation had a "high" and a "low" man; high being "high risk" low being "minimal risk".

In order to make himself bait for the three, Spiderman of course would need something they would want.

"Hiro, we're going on a ride!" Spiderman quips, as he webs up the boy genius, scoops him off the floor and takes to the air on his webs. If Batman is impressed by Peter's speed, the duplicates are flat out stunned. By the time they can react, Peter is already a good hundred feet away.

"Let me go, Bug Boy! Trinity! Rescue mode!" Hiro commands the three robots. He hadn't fully integrated the personality matrixes for these three; so they only responded to verbal commands. They weren't nearly as sophisticated as the Power Girl bot. They also only functioned as a unit, not as independent beings.

Peter sighs as he swings through the huge complex. "Maybe I should just change my name... apparently _**Spiderman**_ is too difficult to remember..." Spiderman swings through tight spaces and around tighter corners, hoping to use his maneuverability to stay ahead of them. He knew he couldn't match them in a true foot race. Plus they would have to be careful not to endanger their maker.

_**Batman better make some sort of move fast…**_

The second the three took off after Spiderman, Batman hurries over to Hiro's mainframe. He needs to make sense of Hiro's cryptic words and time is not on his side. The encryption on Hiro's computer systems was highly sophisticated, but not impenetrable, Batman would simply need a long enough distraction for his virus to take effect.

He slips a customized thumb drive into one Hiro's USB ports and waits for the Trojan to do its work. "Sync mode; Cave awaken and ready to receive data." Batman speaks into his gauntlet, which is tied directly into his computer systems in Gotham. Opening a channel like this was not ideal, but he didn't see any other choice. He needed that data to be ready to be sorted by his systems as soon as it was available.

**-Hiro's hideout, inner sanctum-**

"When the _**Treacherous Three**_ catch up to you, you're dead arachnid!"

Peter considers commenting on Hiro's grievous choice of monikers but opts instead to swing through a set of heavy doors, tossing Hiro into a corner. His web-swinging allowed him to stay ahead of his pursuit, but not by much. He was able to close the doors just as an emotionless Superman crashed into them.

To reinforce the security of the room, he fires a whole cartridge of webbing at it.

"Yeah," Hiro snorts derisively. "That oughta hold'em off for a full ninety seconds..."

That would be an issue if Peter were planning on staying in this room.

The other downside of being in the Bat Family was studying dozens, perhaps hundreds of floor plans. They were buildings of importance, from Wayne Manor to Superman's Fortress of Solitude and everything in between. Spiderman could get to the woman's locker room aboard the Watchtower blindfolded, so navigating Hiro's home would be child's play.

Slinging Hiro over his shoulder, Spiderman leaped to the ceiling, feeling around for the access panel that he knew was there. He felt a ripple of triumph when he found it and squeezed through while the three were still working on the door.

"How did you know about that access?"

"Shhh... Don't interrupt me while I'm climbing..."

**-Hiro's control room-**

"Where is the master?"

Batman looks up to find the pseudo-Power Girl floating menacingly in the air. Apparently Hiro's voice command to unleash the three, didn't automatically update her on what has gone on. That could work to his advantage.

"Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are chasing him! They've malfunctioned and they're looking to harm him!" Batman exclaims trying to sound as concerned as possible. He didn't know the level of intelligence of these creations; the Joker copy seemed to at least have the same personality of its original, but he hadn't been able to determine more than that.

"Where is the other? The one who struck me?" Power Girl asks curiously, her expression actually seeming to denote the emotion. Batman marvels at the intricate detail with which Hiro created their personality matrices. The Joker dupe was obviously much more sophisticated in its design, than the others, but this was still a remarkable achievement for a fifteen year old. He didn't know whether to applaud the young mans' efforts or lock him in a deep dark hole for the rest of his life.

This type of intelligence, he found, has often done more harm than good.

"He is _**protecting**_ your master... somewhere within this fortress. It would be good if you found them and went to his aid." Power Girl looks at him indecisively, obviously the construct remembers that mere moments ago they were on opposite sides of this conflict. Yet her programming prevails and she darts into the air, scanning for her master. Once she's located him, with what Batman assumes is a form of x-ray vision, she's off in the direction Spiderman fled to.

Once sure she's out of listening range, Batman contacts his latest protégé. "Spiderman."

"You have the _**worst **_timing!" Spiderman replies amidst the sounds of obvious struggle. It appears one or more of the dupes have caught up to him.

"Are you talking about now or when I interrupted your "date" with Rose Wilson?" Despite the situation, Batman can't help needling him a little. Peter reminds him so much of Dick; both of them seemed able to approach crime-fighting with a light-hearted attitude that he'd never been able to. Tim was more like himself; serious and focused, which is probably why Tim and Peter had so many conflicts.

"Both! –Unh! I don't know who hits harder; you or the copy- it wasn't a date!" Spiderman yells irritated. "Do you have anything useful to say or are you just bored?"

"I've sent Power Girl to you-"

"Great!"

"It will be, as long as you can sell the idea you are _**protecting**_ Hiro and not endangering him."

"I can handle that!" Spiderman responds laughing. "Hey Hiro! Say Ahh..."

**-Themyscira-**

"Thought you'd never find the place..." Vixen grumbles, unable to resist taking another shot at Shayera. The flight had been an exercise in trial and error, but Hawkgirl sense of direction eventually brought them to the shores of their destination. Vixen knew that despite her quip there was no way she could have located the island herself.

"Wouldn't be the first time you were wrong... but it could easily be the_** last**_." Hawkgirl threatens, while remaining focused on their decent.

"Now ladies... we had such an _**enjoyable**_ flight here... let's not ruin it now." Green Lantern may have sent Wally with them to keep the peace, but John Stewart seriously underestimated their capacity for hatred.

The whole flight the two of them traded poisonous barbs, often using Flash as the intermediary. For the most part he kept silent, hoping the two them would tire of being catty, but they didn't. His silence seemed to add fuel to the fire. He had never been so happy to see any island in his life.

"Here comes the welcome wagon..." Flash quips noting the cadre of Amazonians on horseback.

_**Each one lovelier and deadlier than the next...**_

"Ok Flash, you better-" Before Hawkgirl can finish her sentence Wally is gone, likely hiding out in the back cargo hold. Hawkgirl lands without incident and the two prepare to disembark. "All right Vixen, you ready?"

"To act like the sight of you doesn't make me want to rip out my own eyes? Sure. We can give it a go." Vixen stands to leave but Hawkgirl grabs her arm.

"This is a _**delicate**_ situation, so you need to bury that obnoxious hostility and remember that we're here for one reason." Hawkgirl stares down the slightly smaller heroine, Vixen doesn't back down from the stare and snatches her arm free.

"I may not look it, but I can be subtle when I need to be. But if you _**ever**_ touch me again..."

"Let's try not to waste too much time threatening one another, for Diana's sake."

Though Hawkgirl meant it as an insult, it has the opposite effect on Vixen. She nods in agreement and presses the button to open the hatch. The two make their way down to the beach, holding their hands over their heads to show they are not armed.

"Outsiders are forbidden here, get back in your craft and-"

"We have an important message for the Queen!" Vixen counters loudly. "Now you can either bring her here or take us to her, but we intend to have our say!"

"Real subtle..." Hawkgirl groans, noting that none of the assembled Amazonians have dropped their weapons or relaxed their posture.

"Hey, I said I can be subtle _**when I need to be**_... this is not one of those times..."

In spite of herself, Hawkgirl smiles a bit at that.

"You heard her! Take us to Hippolyta now!"

**-Throne room, Themyscira-**

"The audacity of those from mans' world have no limits..." Artemis spits as the two are escorted to the queen. She stands as the fiercest warrior on the island, protecting the interest of the queen. It is a position that was supposed to eventually become Diana's, but she takes pride in being able to serve in her own way.

"Peace Artemis, they have not come here under the guise of war, so I would at least hear them out. Especially if it has anything to do with my daughter." Though the two were not on speaking terms since Hippolyta banished her from ever returning to the island, she is still interested in her life. She doubts the Justice League would go through the hassle of coming here without good reason. "Approach Justice League members, I will hear you."

The two get to the foot of the throne and Hawkgirl bows slightly, but Vixen doesn't move. "Thank you for seeing us, your highness." Hawkgirl glances over at Vixen and notes her indifference with annoyance. She didn't understand why the woman seemed to revel in making things difficult.

"Will you not show respect to the queen?" Artemis asks Vixen, with her hand dropping to the hilt of her sword. Artemis knew enough about mans' world to know that when in the presence of royalty, even the greatest, most powerful men show respect. The fact that Vixen stands so indignantly, when her compatriot shows the proper due, angered Artemis more. This wasn't a simple matter of not knowing protocol; this was an act of overt defiance.

"Not my queen..." Vixen snorts folding her arms. Out of the corner of her eyes she notes Hawkgirl watching her angrily and shrugs offering a token bow. "Forgive my disrespect, Queen, I am merely anxious over the situation that we have come to discuss."

Although Artemis knows this is not done with sincerity, she decides to accept it for now. "Then speak of the matter you have come to relay." The quicker their purpose here is revealed, the sooner, Artemis reasons, they can leave.

Hawkgirl notes there are about twelve other Amazonians in the room and she turns back to Hippolyta. "Is there nowhere we can speak in private, your highness?"

Artemis opens her mouth to speak, but with a hand Hippolyta silences it. "My sisters, please leave us to these outworlders."

"Us?"

Hippolyta turns to Vixen with a slight sneer. "I may not be _**your queen**_, but Artemis is my most trusted advisor, she will either hear your words now, or later, but she will hear them. Does it make that much of a difference to you when?"

Vixen looks to protest, not liking her attitude one bit, but instead she remains silent, biting the inside of her jaw. Hawkgirl relays to them all she knows about the situation.

Hippolyta is remarkably silent during the tale, her face showing little reaction. Artemis is outwardly furious by the time Hawkgirl is finished.

"Treacherous witch! I will bathe my hands in the spray of her blood and drink from her skull!"

Although Hippolyta could appreciate the sentiment, she was slightly more reserved. "We must consult the gods..."

This time Vixen can no longer keep silent. "This all happened on _**your**_ gods' watch, queen! If they wanted to intervene on your daughter's behalf they would have already done so! This isn't the time for pleas of mercy and begging; this is the time to act!"

Artemis nods. "Loathe as I am to agree with her, the woman is right, my queen." Circe was not one to deal Diana a kindness. It was not long ago that she turned the Amazon into a pig just out of amusement. After hearing the details of this latest attack, this did not seem like a playful lark. It was an outright attack that needed to have a response in kind.

"Just tell us where we can find her and we can take care of Circe ourselves..." Hawkgirl offers. She knows that the Amazons keep to a strict code of conduct when it comes to matters like this and she doesn't want them to do anything that would get them into trouble. Many of her own people paid tribute to various gods and would not act without some sort of sign, so she could relate, if not agree with, Hippolyta's hesitation.

"No, winged-one, this is a matter for _**Amazonian retribution**_!" Artemis yells angrily. Diana was not just her greatest student, but she was also like a little sister to her, she would not rely on the justice of the League. She would have her own. She had long desired the chance to end the witch's life, but Circe had been protected from harm by powerful forces. Now, with this affront flying in the face of the law itself, that protection should no longer apply.

"Silence." Hippolyta whispers, obviously upset over the exchange.

"Yeah, well you guys _**cast her out**_ remember? Diana is not an Amazon anymore; she's a member of the Justice League! We came here out of respect not to seek your council!" Vixen fires back at Artemis. She never liked that Diana was banished considering that the only reason she violated the so-called sacred edict was to save Hippolyta's life in the first place. It seemed cruel for a mother to punish her daughter in such a way.

"She is still of our blood!" Artemis counters, again reaching for the hilt of her sword.

"Peace, sisters."

"Try it, Red..." Vixen challenges touching her amulet. "And I'll slash you to ribbons before you can blink!"

"Enough!" Hippolyta bellows, smashing her throne to rubble in anger. The queen, known to be the very embodiment of decorum, shows at last where Diana gets her terrible temper from, shocking all in attendance. The force of her blow is so mighty that her other attendants burst into the room. She cowers them with only a look and they retreat back the way they came.

Stepping toward Vixen, she grabs her amulet, twisting it. "You have _**no idea**_ what it took for me to banish my daughter! The love I have for her something you could _**never**_ possibly fathom! Even if you were to have children of your own, you would never come close! So do not seek to come here and judge me in matters you have no idea of!" With a shove she sends Vixen careening into Hawkgirl, who catches her only to be rebuked for the kindness immediately. Hippolyta then turns her attention to Artemis. "And do not forget your place Artemis! You do not speak for me or this kingdom unless you are commanded to do so. That means whatever justice is to be portioned out on one who would harm my daughter or any of my subjects is to be decided by _**my hand**_ and mine alone!"

Artemis nods respectfully, her anger still brimming, but tucked beneath the surface. "What shall we do then, my queen?"

**-Watchtower, Main Control room-**

"So... that was pointless..." Green Lantern rubs his eyes tiredly and sips the coffee J'onn has just made.

They just spent the better part of several hours interviewing and screening every League member who has been aboard the Watchtower in the last month along with all the auxiliary staff. In the end, they came up empty.

Everyone was exactly who they claimed to be.

John should be ecstatic about this, but he would have rather spent the time on the hunt for Diana. He didn't believe this would pan out to be anything to begin with. To him it felt more like the same trademark paranoia that had always seemed on the fringes of busting forth from the Dark Knight.

Often his overly developed senses have served the team well, keeping them out of dangerous situations. So if the others were willing to follow Batman's lead on this, he wasn't going to be the one to step out of line.

"On the contrary," Martian Manhunter counters. "I feel we have gotten a great deal closer to the members with whom we serve, possibly even established some potential friendships. Quite the feat for two members who know tend to stand apart from the rest the most..."

John looks at the Martian in surprise. "How do you figure that? Batman is the most aloof one of us all!"

"Perhaps in some respects, yes..." J'onn agrees. "But he also knows all of them and us inside and out. In the minds of most here he has left a strong impression-"

"I bet." John nods sipping his coffee. He figured most of the people who met him either were intimidated by him or _**really intimidated**_ by him. He liked to think that he was one of the few who didn't fear the man in the cape and cowl.

Wary of him, sure.

Respectful of his abilities? Absolutely.

However, having stood in the heart of a dying star with his ring at less than 10%; the most resourceful man on the earth held little weight with him.

"You misunderstand..." J'onn takes a seat across from GL. "In some way or another, Batman has personally touched their lives, enriched it even." Noting the expression of disbelief J'onn continues. "Think of the reason all of us are even here in the first place John."

It was true that it was Batman who encouraged them all to join together, Batman who procured the funding for the facility and even Batman who had been introducing quite a few new heroes to membership. He's helped many to make the transition from vigilante to hero, even villain to hero in some cases. He simply had that effect on people; he could inspire.

"Well... even if you're right... this whole thing didn't bring us any closer to the identity of the so called traitor."

"I wonder..." J'onn muses. "If that was the point of this exercise at all... If Batman truly believed there was someone amongst the League who played a hand in this... don't you think he'd want the opportunity to ferret he or she out _**himself**_?"

Before John can react to that ominous question, Atom interrupts. "Have you two got a moment...?"

"Of course, Dr. Palmer, how can we assist?" J'onn answers rising from the table, Green Lantern does the same, curious as to what brings the scientist to them.

"There's something in the labs... well you really just need to see it for yourself..."

**-Lyta Milton's apartment, one year ago-**

The woman called Lyta Milton, or Lili by her friends, had just finished an extremely grueling day.

After her Econ class, which began at the unseemly hour of six am, she proceeded to run herself ragged through Accounting, Spanish, Biology and Creative Writing before her eight hour shift at Friday's. To say she was tired would be like calling the surface of the sun warm.

Adding to her frustration is the voicemail she's currently listening to from her roommate Jessica:

"- down at _**Treasure **_doing Tequila shots! Some douche is buying us whatever we want hoping one of us will- oh hey Jim!- Jeff? …_**(whatever)**_… Sorry! Just calling my girl, you'll love her! Anyway Lili, come on down after work! Unwindulax!"

Lyta sighs tossing her phone on the sofa. As much as she needs to "unwindulax" she still has to finish her Bio Lab term paper, this being her second extension.

"Ah... to be a rich socialite being educated on daddy's dime..."

Lyta wheels towards the voice and in one swift motion removes her Taser from her purse and fires in its direction. The cables embed themselves into something, but it doesn't have the desired effect.

The figure steps from the shadows chuckling and plucking the spent cartridge from his chest. "Well I suppose I should expect nothing less... from family."

Lyta Milton drops her bags and reaches for her pepper spray, ignoring his comment. "The Taser may not have penetrated that mat of taco meat you call chest hair, but I bet a little spritz of this in your eyes will have more affect! Leave now!"

Coming more into the room and flicking a light switch as he does, Lyta sees fully who her visitor is. Something like recognition registers within her. "Why would I leave now? Considering how long it took me to track you down?" The voice has a calming quality to it. She should be screaming her head off, she knows it wouldn't take much for her nosy neighbor Mrs. Lefler to call the cops, but she stays quiet. The quiet allows her brain to finally register his initial words to her.

"Why did you call me family...? I don't know you..." Much of her life before being adopted by the Milton's is a blur to her. She went to therapy for four years to try and unravel the gaggle of images that visited her in her dreams. But whatever power they had over her subconscious, those memories were silent during her waking hours. By the time she was eighteen she decided that she didn't care about her past and put any desire to search for it away.

"Don't you? Sit, Lyta, I will tell you a story, perhaps in it you will find a ring of truth that strikes a chord..." The man gestured to her couch and as if in a trace, Lyta took a seat. He sat across from her in a chair and for the first time tonight there seemed to be doubt in his expression. "People always tell these types of stories from the beginning, but in this case I will start in the middle, because it is what matters most to _**you**_..."

She simply nods, dumbfounded as to how she can be so calm in the face of someone who has broken into her apartment, shrugged off 50,000 volts of electricity and laughed at the idea of being maced. "What... what did you do to me...?"

The man smiles warmly. "When people are presented with truths they've been in search of their whole lives-"

"Those things don't matter any more!" Lyta manages to raise her voice just above normal. "The past is the past."

The man nods gravely. "Normally I would tend to agree... but in this case... in this case I cannot..." Lyta is startled by the genuine concern in his voice, so much so any other protests die on her lips.

"From the time you were four years old until you were fourteen, you were raised on Themyscira. Perhaps you've heard of it?" Lyta raises an eyebrow as if to illustrate the stupidity of his question and he continues. "Yes, I suppose all women of earth have heard of it by now... at any rate, they raised you as one of their own, schooled you, trained you, you were by all accounts one of their most gifted students..."

"Bull..." Lyta manages, but her words don't have as much conviction as she'd like. She was always naturally athletic; attending college on a partial softball scholarship. And despite her memory loss, she knew things; things that she had no reason to know, things that she could not remember learning.

"We will have nothing but_** truth**_ between us, Lyta, so listen well." Although he still spoke calmly there was an undercurrent in his tone that told her not to say anything more. So she listened.

He spun the tale of her upbringing, how he, God of War watched her from afar with pride, but was not allowed to interfere in her life. She cringed as he detailed when the Roman invaders came, to plunder, to pillage, to rape. Anger welled up in her as he spoke passionately of his pleas to intervene and how they fell upon the uncaring ears of Zeus. She smirked as he detailed his secret plans and felt no pity for the invaders as he and his cousins slaughtered them, lifting the yoke of slavery from the Amazons. But what he would tell her next confused her. He was banned from seeing her again, banned from setting foot on the island. By its ruler and his own father.

"But why?" she asks, tears in her eyes. She saw nothing worthy of rebuke in his actions; he should be celebrated for them.

Ares chuckles humorously. "I went against the natural order of things, dear one, which is bad enough, but I also violated an ancient Amazonian edict. Adding to my crimes, I went against the wishes of my father." Ares pauses long enough for that to sink in before continuing. "After some time had passed, everyone moved on. Hippolyta created for herself a new daughter in Wonder Woman, forgetting all about you so it was not a surprise that Zeus decided to send you away. He sent you several years in the future, wiping most of your memories clear. He did this, believing that with the passage of time I would forget about you and stay the course of my appointed duty... In his eyes, you were the cause of my disobedience…"

"He thought you disobeyed him because of _**me**_...?"

"Well, what son wouldn't disobey his father, in favor of his only child?"

**-Star City, Warehouse district-**

Diana had continued to resist the urge to cry out in pain despite what Joker did to her and she knew it was beginning to frustrate him. But when she finally cried out from pain, his whip striking too close to her tender and untouched center, she saw it.

An erection.

Not a sizable one, if she were to guess, but it was evident nonetheless.

And Joker, as if suddenly privy to the secret of the universe, lit up; his smile becoming even more maniacal. He drops to his knees and began to kiss her welts, some of them still bleeding, in an almost loving manner. She finds his touch revolting, but can do nothing to stop him.

She remains, swaying from the overhead beam that had been taxing the limits of her wrist ligaments, while Joker coos lovingly amidst her thighs. As his kisses trail from her knees to her hips, she tries to maneuver out from under his touch. His efforts to have his way are met by as much resistance she could offer. After a few moments of struggle, he finally relents and Diana fears what new horrors he has in store for her.

"You're right princess, you're right..." Joker looks up into Diana's eyes which bore both confusion and anger. "I cannot do this... while you're tied up like this."

Producing the same blade that had earlier been pressed to Diana's throat, Joker cut the ropes holding her suspended in the air and she collapses in a heap.

"Ahh... this is much better ain't it?"

Diana knows the question isn't directed at her even though she is the only one in the room; Joker just enjoys the sound of his own voice. She imagines too, that he gets an additional thrill verbally abusing her.

When he stripped her naked, she felt very little indignation. On her island she spent a good deal of her formative years without clothing. The ideals of modesty on Themyscira differ from those she found here.

When he tied her up and beat her; first with his hands and eventually a whip, though it was painful, it did not give her cause for despair. It merely angered her and made her ever surer of the fact she wanted to kill this man. More than being free, if she could just end his life she would be satisfied with that.

But when he unties her she finds her strength completely depleted, her one opportunity to fight back, rendered impossible due to the combination of the drugs created by Poison Ivy and Joker's abuse. With strength that belied his thin frame he carries her to the bed, setting about the task of tying her arms to the posts of the wood frame of the bed.

She hasn't eaten or slept since awakening here. So as he secures her to the bed on all fours, she could do little more than moan helplessly. The sounds of weakness that issue from her own mouth fill her with a sense of self-loathing and hopelessness she'd never felt before.

All this time she had been clinging to the notion that eventually Bruce would burst through the doors and rescue her, moments before despair fully sunk its teeth into her heart.

That moment still hadn't come.

Now, lying face down on the stained mattress, breathing in the foul odors in the fabric, she felt confident that not only was rescue not coming, but Joker's tortures had come to their inevitable conclusion.

She'd often heard it said that most insane men are sexual deviants, not able to enjoy intimacy on any level that did not include some sort of debased practice with it. Some were excited by inflicting pain, others by being hurt themselves. Joker was in the club of the former.

"Won't Harley be upset... at you... at you wasting so much time on me...?" Diana means for the words to be strong and teasing, instead as they hit the air she cringes at how much the tone resembles the mewling of the woman she's speaking of.

Still, Joker seems to pause behind her and she dares to hope.

"You're right," Joker agrees and she feels his weight leave the bed. "Harleeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Come in here and bring the camera!"

**-Hiro's game room-**

Spiderman and Power Girl had managed to incapacitate the Wonder Woman and the Batman dupe, but they found their hands full with the Superman copy.

Peter estimated that its strength was somewhere in the neighborhood of about half of the original's, which didn't seem to make it any less dangerous. Its speed was less than Power Girls' but he still managed to land quite a few blows, leaving her battered and bruised.

She was currently on her knees and if he didn't know better, he'd swear she was trying to catch her breath.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to hit women?" Spiderman drives his fist hard into the ear of the robot. He may not look it, but he was in even worse shape than Hiro's other dupe.

He wasn't truly recovered from his bout with Slade and even at his peak, he doubts if he could last much longer. Peter glances over at Hiro, who at some point passed out, wishing that the boy had been less thorough in his work. There were no weaknesses to exploit, no visible off switches and this one, unlike the Joker copy, is shielded against EMP pulses. Obviously, these three were built to last.

He only took out the Batman copy by overloading its optics by driving a severed cable directly into its eyes. The wattage it took before it collapsed was impressive.

Power Girl caught up to them just in time to help with the Wonder Woman copy. The two of them managed to sever the head from the body. Thankfully this one wasn't rigged to explode when it was incapacitated

Driving himself past the point of exhaustion, Spiderman continues to evade each attack, remarking with disdain how Superman's blows have lost none of their crispness or power. Leaping away, Spiderman uses the brief distance to toss several modified Batarangs at Superman, two miss their mark, but the third lodges itself deep in his left eye.

Before he can feel any joy over his victory, the construct, not even bothering to remove the object from its eye, charges him. Spiderman leads him away from Power Girl, while maintaining his distance. Unlike most opponents he's faced, he had no chance in a toe to toe with him. Given enough space, he knew he could avoid taking any more punishment. Since right now he felt like one large bruise.

He hopes to avoid him until whatever Batman was working on was finished, but Superman was onto his plan and stopped his assault.

"Wassamatta Supes? Tired?" His taunt sounded funny to his ears; since it was him he was nearly exhausted. If not for the relentless training he went through on a regular basis, he'd have already passed out.

Superman stands in front of him staring with emotionless eyes and Spiderman stares back.

_**Okay… this is bordering on creepy…**_

Peter notes that his eyes begin to glow red which means Superman is charging its approximation of heat vision. The blast causes the left eye to explode in its socket, while also scorching the wall where Peter stood mere moments ago. Most of the left side of Superman's face is scorched from the explosion.

_**Guess Oz didn't give you much of a brain, huh tin man…?**_

Noting that Power Girl has gotten to her feet, albeit shakily, he drops next to her keeping his eye on Superman. "Hope you got something left in those batteries, Blondie, cause I'm about _**tapped out**_." Spiderman loads his last web cartridge and fires a sticky trap at Superman's feet. Superman stumbles forward awkwardly and Peter uses his last bit of strength to drive his fist into his chin. The blow drives him backwards, but not out. "Man of Steel indeed…"

"Smallville."

"Bout time you got here, I was-" Peter cuts off his retort when he sees the Superman robot stand at attention completely still. "You mean that was all I had to do…?"

Batman settles next to a weary Peter and a deactivated Power Girl. "Hiro is nothing if not consistent…"

**-Hiro's control room-**

"Took your sweet time boss..." Peter laments rubbing his jaw.

Batman grunts, not turning from the console. "Hiro upgraded his security since the last time. Took a little longer than I expected..." He turns from the monitor long enough to take stock of his partner. "How are you holding up?"

Spiderman stands up straight, crossing his arms. "I'm fine."

"Good." Batman nods, typing in a few commands that brings up a display. "Because if you weren't it would matter anyway..."

"What are all those dots- awww man do not tell me that's-"

"The locations of the twenty-two other copies..." Batman confirms, his voice haunted. "One of these... one of these lights is likely at the location of Wonder Woman..."

Peter looks at the display and presses a few commands of his own, causing the map to focus in on Gotham. "At least there's none left in Arkham... but how can we narrow down where she is?"

Batman disconnect his device and the display is transferred to a handheld pad. "This whole thing has been about distracting us; but about distracting me specifically."

Peter leans against the chair to fight off a wave of fatigue that suddenly hits him. He straightens up quickly, but the lapse is enough to give Batman pause. "I'm fine." His own voice sounding weaker by the second. "Explain."

Batman continues. "The Joker at the charity ball, the one at Arkham, the robbery at Wayne Pharmaceuticals..."

"Could be coincidence..."

Batman shakes his head. "These dupes are all made with Kryptonian tech, but the ones in Gotham were made with Wayne technology. Which is why they were susceptible to EM pulses and why these- were not. They were plants. Designed to make me focus on them rather than the larger problem..."

"Possibly..." Peter agrees.

"Whoever did this thought far enough in advance to engineer Hiro against me..." Batman glances at the now conscious, but still gagged genius. "First having Hiro send me on a wild goose chase, then by having him ready to take me out if I came back; he was several steps ahead of us the whole time."

"How does Diana figure into all of this?"

For a second, a look of despair crosses Batman's face. "It's no secret that there are- feelings of... affection between the two of us. Taking her would make me unbalanced, sloppy, perhaps walking headfirst into my death before I could put it all together."

Peter had to admit it was a smart play. You couldn't rattle Batman, not really, not unless you struck at the most vulnerable part of him. The part no one knew about. The part of him that still cares. Villains always tried to match wits with him, but whoever was behind this, knew that wasn't the right move.

"So what's the next move?"

For a long time Batman doesn't speak, but Peter doesn't prod him. He knew from experience that this too was part of the process. So he waits.

Finally Batman kneels in front of Hiro and sprays a solvent on his webbed mouth. Moments Hiro is able to both breathe easier and speak, but Batman doesn't give him the chance to.

"I know someone disguised as me commissioned you to do this. I know you would never intentionally hurt me or the League, so I need you to make a choice. You can either trust that I am exactly who I appear to be and help me find Wonder Woman. Or you can cling to the idea that I'm an imposter and sick your robots on us again-"

"Let the record show; I'm in favor of option A..."

Batman nearly smirks, before turning back to Hiro. He takes his hand from the boys' mouth and waits. Hiro sighs.

"I knew the whole thing seemed fishy... shoulda trusted my gut..."

Batman helps Hiro upright and sprays the rest of the solvent on Hiro, freeing him from his bonds. Dusting himself off, he sits at his console.

"I'm not sure how I can help though... The copies only respond to my voice commands if I'm near them..."

"Can you tell which copies are where?" Peter asks and Batman turns to him and smiles fully this time. "What?"

"Exactly what I was going to ask... well Hiro, can you?"

Moments later they have an idea of who is where and Batman formulates a plan. "Spiderman, put a call out to everyone, teams of three to these twenty-one locations..." Batman hands Peter the tablet. "I'll head back to the Tower and teleport to location number twenty-two..."

"Is that where-?"

"Most likely..." Batman grimaces. "It makes sense that he would be involved... further distraction..."

"Wait..." Hiro interjects. "There's another copy here..." he points to the screen. "But I can't- did you guys launch one into orbit or something?"

"There's one aboard the Watchtower, it's deactivated."

"Deactivated?"

"Yeah, the Gotham versions can be taken out with an EMP pulse."

"Come on, Bats, you know me. You think I would allow one of my creations to be so easily dispatched?" Peter and Batman are both looking at him curiously. "EMP shunts them into "Watch" mode..."

"What's that mean?"

"Means that you can have them perform remote functions as you need to while they remain immobile. Perfect if you need one to play possum-"

"-while you systematically monitor and control a situation from a safe distance..."

"Aw, man!"

"If one's aboard the Watchtower..."

Hiro doesn't complete his sentence, he doesn't need to. Peter and Batman come to the same conclusion.

"Tower this is Batman, do you read?" Silence.

_**J'onn?**_ Batman calls out telepathically, but there is no answer on the other end.

"What should-"

"I'm taking the Wing to Gotham, Hiro do you have something here that can get Spiderman to the tower fast?"

"Of course!" Hiro leaps to his feet and disappears from sight, Batman turns from Spiderman and begins to head off. Peter grabs his arm.

"You sure about this?"

"No." Batman states flatly, obviously upset. "But I don't see any other way."

"We could head to the Tower together, rally the troops and follow up on your hunch-"

"There are over thirty super-powered individuals up there against one drone; Diana however is alone and probably depowered in some way, fighting against at least three maniacs. What do you think is the more urgent situation?"

Peter releases his arm, but doesn't move from his path. "Then let me go with you; you'll probably need the back up."

Batman doesn't answer, he simply leaps away. He hits the ground in a full sprint. Even now, Peter knows he could catch up to him. But he doesn't move.

He knows the real reason that Batman wants to go it alone.

_**A/N: Whew! LONG Chapter! I know! I hope I didn't lose any of ya! Next up: Batman races to Wonder Woman's' rescue!**_


	16. To the rescue?

_**A/N: Fair warning there are some dark elements in this chapter, but nothing overtly graphic! Hope you enjoy!**_

**-Space, several miles outside of the Watchtower-**

"To Infinity… and beyond!"

"Seriously?"

"Hey, once it became clear that _**you weren't**_ going to say it, someone had to pick up the slack!"

"Given the situation that we are _**literally**_ flying into I don't think this is a good time for your brand of levity…"

"Whoever said blondes have more fun, obviously never met you…" Peter grumbles in response. "How long until we reach the docking area?" Hiro did not have any rockets prepped for immediate launch, but a modification to Power Girl made space flight possible. The trip was one way, though, so once they actually boarded the Tower, they would have to find their own way back to terra firma.

"My readout's show the docking area is inaccessible…"

"Right…" He had no way of knowing what happened aboard the Tower, but if the systems had been compromised in any way, all access to the Tower was cut off. There was no getting in and no getting out until things were returned to normal, which explains why there was no answer from the communicators or from J'onn. "Can you scan for any alternative means of-"

"I already have a course plotted out, there's a hull breach in sector eight… pull it up on your display…"

"I see it, but where there's a breach there's bound to be someone working to close it-"

"Then I suggest we get there before then!"

**-Watchtower Lab, ninety-eight minutes ago-**

"What do you think it means, Palmer?" John asks looking at the readouts that Atom brought to their attention. He understood what he was looking at, but didn't see what had raised such an alarm in the doctor.

"Well Lantern, it's sending out very low level pulses of radio frequency, too low to be communicating with anything outside of a ten mile radius…" Atom answers slightly exasperated. Sometimes he felt that unless a threat was literally punching them in the face most of the Justice League could care less.

"There are no vessels in our airspace, unless they're cloaked by a means not known to us…" J'onn reasons. He can sense Palmer's anxiety and although the situation bears investigation, he doesn't understand his heightened level of panic.

"Considering the knowledge base in this room alone, J'onn, I find that unlikely… which means it's transmitting to something else. Possibly attempting to corrupt our systems here. Exert some sort of control." Atom was wary of bringing the Joker clone, as they'd come to call it, aboard in the first place. But he knew that they needed to study it in a controlled environment. He was even more vocal about leaving it here unattended, deactivated or not, but was out voted in his objections.

"Isn't that an equally unlikely scenario? Three of the greatest minds in this solar system are responsible for the creation and maintenance of these systems. Surely there are built in redundancies to cover such an attack. I'm not sure it requires an alert be raised- Tornado? What are you doing here?"

The three men all stare at the hero known as Red Tornado who stands in the doorway of the lab. The automaton makes no attempt to answer; instead he blasts the three against the wall with a gust of concentrated air. Atom and Green Lantern are knocked out instantly, while J'onn struggles to his feet.

"All Leaguers on this frequency, this is a level one alert- argh!"

His warning is cut off by the combination of the Joker spraying him with a flammable liquid while Tornado causes the blaze to intensify with a gust of wind. Screaming, J'onn flees through the floor still burning.

"Well that's sure to wake the neighbors…" Joker quips, pulling wires from his exposed chest. His inner workings lay bare. "Ready to get to work partner?"

"How are you able to override my programming?" Red Tornado asks, unable to do much else. He had been enjoying a stroll through the Watchtower's Arboretum when he felt a strange compulsion to come to this lab. The compulsion turned to an outright order that he could not disobey. As did the instructions to incapacitate anyone he found there.

"That's my little secret, Red." Joker laughs with a sound that has an inhuman quality to it. "Now be a good little drone and relieve the Lantern of his ring."

Without protest, Red Tornado kneels and pries the ring from John Stewart's finger, oblivious to the dry snap of bone as he does so. He turns to see the Joker casually reassembling himself. "What do you plan to do?" Tornado asks as he deposits Lantern's ring into a compartment within his torso.

"Shake up the world baby, shake it right on up!" Two tendrils protrude from his head and connect themselves to the lab's computer. "Lots of firewalls and encryptions in here… may take a while to do what needs doing… Red, be a lamb and go kill some superheroes for me, while I take care of this?"

"There are currently… six combatants aboard the Watchtower who match or exceed my abilities, in addition to several mystics who present an unknown danger." Tornado responds tonelessly. He could not understand why he was offering this information; he only knew that it felt natural to do so.

"Hmm… well… this should even the odds a bit…" Joker hands Tornado a blade; too short to be considered a sword, but longer than any knife he'd ever seen. He was more concerned with the familiar green hue of the blade.

"Kryptonite…" Tornado believed they had thoroughly checked the copy, but someone he managed to sneak this in here.

"You don't wanna know where I had that thing hidden…" Joker laughs picking up on Tornado's thoughts. "But it's remarkably difficult to get your hands on the pure stuff nowadays… so I expect you to return it" Joker muses, turning back to his task of infiltrating the Watchtower computer systems.

"How did you get it?"

Joker shrugs, keeping his attention on his work. "When you care enough to _**kill**_ the very best…"

"Who are you?" Tornado asks, now finding it difficult to speak.

This time Joker's face loses all humor as he answers. "The end of everything." Before his words can fully sink in, his face again becomes amused. "Now git ya little scamp!"

Tornado turns to leave, experiencing what he can only surmise as his first glimpse of anger.

**-Gotham City, Warehouse district-**

_**If he's hurt her…**_

Bruce couldn't allow himself to finish that thought.

In the first place, he didn't want to think of Diana being hurt, in the second, he didn't want to think of what he would do to Joker if he had harmed her. There were times when Batman seriously considering crossing the line with Joker; taking steps to remove him from the equation _**permanently.**_

He could do it with ease and he likely would be applauded for the action rather than vilified. Yet, that wasn't his way. It couldn't be.

But, Barbara, Jim, Jason and hundreds of others had been victims of the madman. When would it stop? It was the question that kept him awake for the days and nights' following Joker's various escapes from the Asylum.

Bruce, during his more forgiving moments, allowed himself to believe that Arkham was the only place for someone like Joker. Rehabilitation, not death were what was needed. Deep down, however he knew that although clearly insane, Joker had perfect awareness of everything he did.

The man has proven he is beyond rehabilitation.

"Batman? I can't reach the Tower- do you-"

"Spiderman is investigating that, Nightwing. Round up the Outsiders and the Titans and pair off in teams of three to the locations I sent you earlier." There was a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it. They needed to round up all these copies while the damage they could or already had done was more or less manageable.

"Right. Do you need-?"

"I need you to follow those instructions and stay off this channel, I'll contact when I have anything further. I'm going radio silent. Out."

Batman knows Dick undoubtedly had more to say, but for now he wasn't interested in hearing it. He was coming up on the location of the duplicate that he imagined would lead him to the Joker. And even more likely Diana.

Examining all that has taken place so far he surmised that Savage, working in concert with both Circe and Ares or someone who could appear as them, was collecting certain mystical artifacts. For what purpose, is unclear and neither Fate nor Zatanna could shed any light on that subject. The items seemed benign in nature, so either they were misdirection to keep the true goal hidden or have a use that only a few knew of.

In addition someone has gone to considerable trouble to keep him off balance.

The elements all had a common thread. Between the Joker copy in Gotham, the one at Arkham, the so-called Agents or Ares attack, Hiro's part in the plot, kidnapping Diana, all of it to keep him from devoting too much time to unraveling the main mystery.

And so far they had been successful, but here at this warehouse he imagined he could balance the scales back in his favor.

Climbing to the roof, he peers down into the warehouse below him, but the area is dark and deserted. Switching his cowl to infrared he scans for any heat signatures. He finds only one, but it is obviously female. He weighs his options for a moment.

The duplicates gave off no heat signature for him to pick up, so there could be one down there or there could be more than one. He didn't like how calm the scene seemed to be, the female signature in the center could be Diana, but it could easily be a trap. Adding to that is the fact that he has no way of knowing if this copy is shielded against an EM pulse or not and according to Peter going toe-to-toe with one of these things was not the most advisable course.

Batman smiles grimly before crashing through the glass of the skylight.

He lands several feet away from the female figure and calls out cautiously. "Wonder Woman?"

The figure leaps to her feet quickly, launching a kick that he is just able to avoid.

"Typical man…" the woman taunts. "Thinking all brunettes look alike."

Bruce is unable to hide his surprise, recognizing the woman's voice immediately. "Talia?"

"Who else, beloved?"

**-Star City, Warehouse district-**

Diana couldn't believe she hadn't passed out yet.

She has been strung up, whipped, beaten and has remained perfectly coherent for all of it. Now, being violated in a particularly despicable way, she still had not found the embrace of unconsciousness.

"Harleeeee! Make sure you're- unh!- getting this!" Joker voice held such a gleeful quality to it, you would think he were a child playing a game. Not a man violating a hostage.

"Sure thing, Mistah J!" Harley, however did not sound anywhere near as pleased. Diana imagines that no matter how insane a person may be, no one wants to see the one they love being intimate with someone else. Let alone be tasked with filming it. Although calling what was taking place "intimate" is like calling World War II a "disagreement".

"Whew! I'm bushed!" Joker laughs, stopping his assault for a moment. Diana allows herself a moment to hope that he may have finished. She didn't know how long a man usually lasted but she was sure that this had gone on for at least a half an hour. "What d'ya think, toots? Ready to try door number one?"

Diana's confusion at his question lasts only a moment as realization dawns on her. Despite the pain, she was secretly glad that the monster had not chosen to take her virginity in the truest sense. It almost seemed decent of him. But now it was clear he was merely saving that torture for last.

"No… please I have never…" Diana hated the weakness in her own voice; the fact that she would plead for mercy from someone who she knew had no intention of granting it. But she couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry… my hearing isn't what it used to be…" Joker responds comically, while prodding at her untainted area with a coarse knuckle. He wanted her to beg. Even if they both knew it wouldn't do any good. It was all a game.

But despite what it would mean, Diana could not, would not play it. "I said… I've never had anything so tiny inside me before… it tickles…"

The smile fades from Joker's face and Diana catches it and feels a sliver of triumph run through her. That is until Joker unceremoniously punches her in the back of the head. The stars that light up behind her eyes make her hope against all hope that she will finally collapse into oblivion, but there is still too much fight left in her.

"Hitting… me… won't change the fact… you're hung like a house fly…" The words were ill-fitting for a Princess of Themyscira, but she was sure that even her mother would understand. Artemis would probably approve wholeheartedly.

"You little-!" Joker raises his hand again but this time he is stopped by a loud blaring. He looks back at Harley who seems equally startled. "Keep an eye on her sweetheart. I think the fun is finally about to start!" With a giggle, Joker puts his pants back on along with his shirt and grabs his gun. "Stay put, Princess! I'll be back with some friends to keep you company!"

**-Gotham City, Warehouse district-**

"I will only give you one chance to answer-" Batman counters the slash of Talia's sword with his gauntlet and with a twist, snaps the blade in two. "Where is she?"

She doesn't answer, she simply attacks him full force launching into a barrage of combinations. Despite the situation, Batman chuckles internally. Nearly every time the two of them are in the same room they end up in a fight. The last time was in Marrakesh, although that had an ending he didn't think possible in this instance.

It made some sense to him that Ra's would be involved in the events of the last month, but he rarely stooped to kidnapping and he never allied himself with individuals like Savage. Their end goals were too similar to allow for cooperation. They both believed they knew the best way to lead the planet into their own twisted Utopias. Neither would be willing to compromise their dream for the other.

"Your father must be desperate to ally himself with Savage, Talia. Lazarus pit's finally stop working?" Bruce knew that desperate men tended to make desperate alliances.

Talia still doesn't respond, producing instead as an answer, a gun. She fires several shots at Batman, but he takes cover behind several crates. "Tell me what you've done with Wonder Woman and you can_** walk**_ out of here!" Batman yells from his cover, watching Talia attempt to flank him.

A well aimed Batarang takes care of her weapon and as it clatters to the floor he leaps from cover to close the distance between them. Talia displays speed equal to the task of evading his blows, while countering with the jagged edge of her recently shattered sword.

She manages to sneak past his defense long enough to cut several groves in Batman's uniform. None of her strikes have found flesh, but he knows it's only a matter of time. He uses a well aimed front kick to Talia's midsection to create some space.

"Enough, Talia! I don't have time for this! Where is Wonder Woman?" It was unnerving him that Talia had been refusing to speak. Perhaps she was under someone's influence, acting on another's behalf.

"Guess you have a one track mind, construct!" Talia laughs, tossing the broken blade at Batman. "Perhaps if I sever your head from your shoulders we can reprogram you and put you to better use. The League of Shadows could always use a gopher!"

The second it takes for her comment to register, distracts Batman long enough for Talia to wind up on top of him, holding a secondary blade to his throat. "The real Batman would have never allowed me to gain an advantage this easily!"

Using all the strength he has at his disposal, he tosses her lithe form off him and springs back to his feet. She lands gracefully a few feet away, facing him warily. "Talia! I am not one of-!"

Before he can finish his statement Talia is hit from behind by familiar fist.

"Long time, no see… Bruce…"

**-Star City, Warehouse district-**

"Guess this is the right place, Dinah!"

"What gave you that idea, Dove?" Dinah questions, while punching another of Joker's henchmen. When Nightwing called her with Batman's instructions, her first instinct was to tell him off.

Tonight was one of the few nights she and Ollie had been able to go on an actual date. And it was a date that had been going remarkably well until his intrusion. But after hearing what was going on with the Watchtower and with Diana, she didn't hesitate.

She was someone upset that she had been kept in the dark about Diana's disappearance, but understood why it was kept under wraps. Over the past year it had been difficult to know who could be trusted within their own ranks. It caused some, like Batman and Oliver to scale back their involvement in the League, preferring to be called on when needed. For her and many others, she saw it as reason to become more actively involved. Keeping a closer eye on the comings and goings at the Watchtower.

In Batman's absence she had become a full time member; a fact she was very proud of.

"Let's stay alert ladies!" Green Arrow announces from the rafters as he takes out another thug with a perfectly placed arrow. "Quicker we wrap this up…" Nightwing had let them know these copies could only be taken out with lethal force and that the use of such force had been sanctioned. That was something that Arrow had some issue with. For these henchmen, however, he stuck to stun arrows and knockout gas arrows. If push came to shove he could switch to the heavy stuff.

"We don't need a reminder, Robin Hood. Just make with the arrows, will ya?" Dinah quips before breaking the jaw of another hoodlum. Just as Oliver takes out the last one, a familiar voice calls out from the darkness.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, _**NO**_! This simply will not do!"

"Sorry to ruin your plans Joker!" Dinah takes a careful defensive stance as Joker and Harley Quinn emerge from the shadows. According to Nightwing; one or both of them could be synthetic duplicates; which means enhanced strength and durability. She was glad to have Dove along for the ride. Her strength, though not up with the League's heavy hitters was greater than her and Ollie's combined.

"It was supposed to be_** HIM**_! Why isn't _**he**_ here?" Joker yells angrily before pulling out a machine gun twice his size and firing it at the trio. His aim is indiscriminate, causing any of his henchmen still conscious to flee for cover as well.

"Take cover!" Green Arrow yells diving behind a stone pillar.

"Gee, Ya think so?" Dinah counters avoiding the hail of bullets from Joker's weapon.

"Instead of being a jerk, why not make with the Canary Cry already?" Green Arrow counters, trying to find a way to get a shot at the two.

Dinah takes a deep breath and aims her scream at Joker. The full force of the cry throws both Quinn and Joker backward, destroying his gun in the process. "Satisfied…?" Dinah asks weakly. Her scream still takes a lot out of her.

"Stay put, gorgeous. Me and Dove will bat clean-up." Oliver and Dove sprint after Joker and Quinn, just as both of them are getting to their feet. "Better not take any chances…" Green Arrow fires three arrows in succession at the two. As always his aim is deadly accurate, with two hitting center mass on Harley and the other finding the throat of Joker.

"This… will definitely affect my… ack… singing career…" Joker gurgles, snapping the end of the arrow off and pulling it through the other side of his neck. "Didn't know you do-gooders were allowed to fire kill shots…" Green Arrow watches in disbelief as Joker heals from the wound in seconds. The two arrows that found Harley remain embedded in her chest, but she seems none the worse for wear.

"Master?"

"Sure thing Harley B, kill them all!"

**-Outside the Watchtower-**

"Still no response?"

"Not since the last time you asked me, Vixen…" Hawkgirl was just as worried as Vixen was but there was nothing they could do until they docked. There could be any of a thousand reasons communications were down, she saw no reason to panic yet.

"Well that's all the more reason to worry!" Vixen counters. "Something has happened over there and our friends need us!"

Hawkgirl turns to answer, but is interrupted by Artemis.

"Perhaps we should save our assumptions until there are actually grounds for them?" Artemis, who was not a fan of either woman, was having difficulty remaining patient. The two had done nothing but bicker like children for the entire trip. For Artemis, seeing warriors of the same tribe argue so much was upsetting, especially considering the danger Diana was likely in.

Adding to her frustration was the fact that Hippolyta insisted on seeking out the counsel of Athena before going after Circe.

Artemis' experiences with the so-called "gods" have always been infuriating. For beings that demanded devotion, they offered in her opinion, nothing in return. She believed they were likely to leave her Queen with more questions than answers.

By way of a compromise, the Queen authorized her accompany the League members back to the Watchtower to assist in the search for Circe. As loathe as Artemis was to leave Themyscira without its queen and its army commander, she agreed.

"Leave it to the hot-blooded Amazonian to be the lone voice of reason on this trip…" Wally mutters. Artemis shoots him a venomous look, but to her surprise he doesn't back down. "It was a compliment, Artemis…"

"It didn't seem like one…" She counters, taking measure of the speedster. Her interaction with men had been very limited, so she tended to group them into two categories; mild annoyances and arrogant idiots. She found herself amused that she could not rightly place Flash into either. Yet.

"With these two going at it like school girls arguing over who gets to take Jake Ryan to the prom, it's nice to have someone able to stay focused." Flash looks at both Hawkgirl and Vixen, but the two seem eager to pretend they couldn't hear his assessment.

"Who is… _**Jake Ryan**_?"

For a beat the cabin is quiet, but the silence is soon broken by all three League members' laughter. "When this is over Artemis I'd be happy to instruct you in the mysteries of John Hughes and his works of true-to-life fiction."

Artemis, unsure of what that means or how to respond, offers a curt nod. "Yes, perhaps I should know more of this world of yours… since it seems our interactions are becoming more and more frequent…"

"Will wonders never cease…" Hawkgirl muses under her breath. Turning back to the view screen she catches a glimpse of a figure streaking towards the Tower. "Is Power Girl back from her mission with the Qarians yet?"

"Not that I know of…" Vixen comments anxiously. She saw the same red, white and blue clad form streak past the ship. "You don't think-?"

"I hope not."

"What is going on now?" Artemis asks, feeling out of the loop again.

"Nothing good." Flash sighs.

**-Star City, Warehouse district-**

Diana is able to hear the sounds of commotion outside her room and her heart soars.

_**They're here! I knew it! I knew they would come!**_

Her elation drops a little, remembering the all too familiar glyph that was on the bony frame of the Joker.

_**But- how can they stop him when he is- Batman… Batman will think of a way… he always does…**_

"Don't be getting any ideas, lady! Mistah J'll take care of those chumps outside and then we'll get back to playing witcha!"

Diana, continues smiling, this time in a more sympathetic way. At least as much sympathy as she can currently muster. "Is that what you really want though Harley?"

"Of course!" She answers immediately, although half-heartedly, reinforcing what Diana already suspected. Harley was not a fan of this situation in the slightest. "What more could a goil want?"

_**Maybe there is something that is still human in her after all… jealously.**_

"Don't you realize that the longer I'm here, the more he'll continue to neglect you?" Diana asks trying to inject as much empathy as she can. "And what about the "other" Harley? How long before that cheap imitation of you replaces you completely?"

"She can't!"

"No?"

"He wouldn't!"

"Harley…" Diana shifts her position as much as her bonds will allow and turns to face Harley so that the woman can see her eyes. "Doesn't he already ask her to do most of the things he once asked of you? And only of you?"

Diana can see her wheels turning. Before becoming the puppet of a maniacal clown she was a brilliant behavioral scientist. The subtle and not so subtle changes in her relationship with Joker would not be lost on her. In fact, she would be doubly aware of it. The only reason for her ignorance would be due to her own desire not to see it.

"You're just trying to trick me!" Harley spats, going on the offensive.

"Sure. Because I'm in a position of power right now?" Diana quips flexing against her bonds to emphasize the fact she is still very much a captive.

"I'm not stoopid you know!"

"Which is precisely why you know I'm right." Diana counters. "You know the sort of man Joker is, better than anyone. Do you really think that if he has a "Harley" that will service and serve him in any and every way possible, that he'll have much use for the original?"

**-Gotham City, Warehouse district-**

"Where is she?"

"Come on, Bruce. Say it. Say my name just _**once**_."

Batman throws several batarangs at the man in front of him before replying dryly. "You are not Jason Todd and this game is getting old." The construct moves with more agility than Jason ever had. Jason was rough around the edges, more of a brawler than the natural athlete that Dick was.

"Sounds like someone is just a poor loser…"

The pseudo Jason throws several punches that miss their mark. But it's just barely and Batman can feel that there is considerable strength behind each swing. Possibly on par with Spiderman.

_**And you decided to go it alone…**_

Despite the situation, Batman still believes he made the right call. There simply was not enough time for anything else. "Whoever commissioned you built made a mistake in thinking that this… shell… would distract me." Batman flips over Jason's shoulders planting two small plastic explosives on each. The resulting explosion, blows the left arm clean off and severely damages the right.

"Clearly…" Jason quips, holding up a mangled right arm. "There is no love lost when it comes to you and I." The personality matrix on this copy is just as sophisticated as the one Hiro made for Joker. It responds just as Jason would, with a dark humor. He would need to have a long talk with Hiro about just how much the young man knew. But that would have to wait.

"Jason was like a son to me and his death haunts me still…" Batman admits standing in front of the damaged copy. "But you profane his memory, which makes destroying you all the more satisfying." Batman makes his way over to the stunned Talia, helping her to her feet. "Still think I'm a copy?"

"No." Talia answers with a wan smile. "Now will you finish the job you started with his arms?" Talia motions to the charging Jason Todd copy. Both leap out of the way of his path, Talia still a little foggy, less gracefully.

Although Batman would prefer to incapacitate the copy to see what can be learned from it, the situation is not ideal. He thought that Joker would be here with Diana, since he'd come to the conclusion that the mastermind behind all of this was interested in keeping him as off balanced as possible. As soon as he saw that Hiro had created a Jason copy, he figured that Joker would use this as an extra bit of torture.

Considering that Joker was the one that killed Jason to begin with.

Now he sees that not only was he wrong, but that it was unlikely this copy knew anything about Diana. And that was still his main objective; recovering her safe and sound.

Batman tosses explosive putty at the face of the copy and turns away as in a flash the drones' head is destroyed. As it collapses to the floor, Batman stares at it angrily. "This was just _**another **_distraction… much like you…"

"What?"

In a flash, Batman pins Talia to the ground, knee firmly in her throat. "Why are you here?"

"Do you think… me or my father would have anything to do with ones such as these…?" She chokes out between breaths.

Batman does not relax his hold. "You've partnered with worse." Batman returns, thinking of her connections to Lex Luthor. "I haven't forgotten that business in Metropolis…"

"Perhaps…" She admits, smiling painfully. "But I've never done anything to intentionally hurt you. Nor would I be a party to such."

Batman's anger subsides at the truthfulness of her words. However misguided or savage her agendas may have been, Talia has always shown him the utmost respect. She would not be involved in something as profane as allying with his worst enemy. Or exploiting such a painful wound.

He lets her up, but remains on guard. Friend or foe, Talia is still the most dangerous woman he knows. "So?"

After dusting herself off, she produces from her pocket a cell phone and hands it to him. "Several days ago I received a communication that our interests in Gotham were being… compromised… by Batman and Robin." Batman looks at her curiously as he scrolls through her text message history. "Imagine my surprise at hearing this, when my own intelligence indicated that you were not in Gotham City at the time. Neither you or the ridiculous Bruce Wayne costume you wear were anywhere near the locations in question."

"Care to tell me what locations you're talking about?"

"Let's not play those games, beloved…" Talia smiles, taking her phone back. "We both know you are fully aware of what the League of Shadows has been doing in Gotham. Regardless, it was worth investigating. I sent a team in. They were all murdered by the copies. Before I could follow up on a lead on one of the perpetrators, he was destroyed and tossed in the bay… my team salvaged the remains and discovered the truth. I imagine you didn't take kindly to someone appropriating your identity?"

Batman doesn't answer, but reasons that she was referring to the same copy Spiderman had found and deactivated.

_**Of course this leads to more questions; why sabotage the League of Shadows in the first place? Is the architect behind this looking to eliminate all the players from the board or was it all to facilitate this confrontation today?**_

"I'm still not hearing an explanation for today's events, Talia."

"Yes… well, since the one piece was taken off the board, I tracked the _**Robin**_ here. He'd made several trips back and forth to this location, I imagine dropping off the rare flora we had been… acquiring. I encountered you, before I could determine-" Talia stops and looks around anxiously. Batman meets her gaze and nods.

"At least ten of them." Batman answers grimly. "I don't suppose they are yours?"

This time Talia smiles smugly. "If they were, you would not have sensed them so easily…"

Emerging from the shadows are several men wielding various blunt weapons and in the center of them, their leader.

"Subtlety is not a strong suit of these men… but they have ample aptitude in broken bones and internal bleeding."

"What are you doing here?" Talia yells angrily, but not in surprise.

With the appearance of Poison Ivy, things begin to fall into place. "So that's how Wonder Woman was taken. You helped Circe weaponize the Crotus flower." Diana had spoken to him once about the properties of a particular flower that grew in the mountainous region of Themyscira. She said that the flowers had remarkable restorative properties when used on her sisters, but for some reason rendered her powerless and weak.

Batman heard rumblings about the League of Shadows' interest in the flower and had been monitoring their research. The thought had been that the restorative affect that they had might have a more potent outcome when combined with the soil of a Lazarus pit. They'd hoped it would curtail the madness side effect that always came with the restoration. As far as he knew, the results were inconclusive.

Batman turns to Talia. "You got desperate enough that you enlisted the aid of the one person who could possibly know how to combine all the elements you needed. Pamela Isely." Talia's love for her father apparently knew no limits.

Talia's look of grim determination falters a bit. "Would you not make a deal with the devil himself if it meant the life of your father?" Talia, knowing about Bruce's past, thought maybe he would understand. Bruce's humorless laugh dashes that notion quickly.

"If you believe that _**beloved**_, then you never knew me at all…" Batman turns back to Ivy who had been watching the exchange with mild amusement. "You strung Talia along pretending to work on her theory, while secretly working on your own agenda. You knew, just as I did, that the flower, despite its restorative properties could not be used in conjunction with the Lazarus pit from the beginning."

Ivy sighs dramatically. "I've always been _**deeply **_saddened that such a wonderful mind lies within such a _**crude and useless**_ form… perhaps I could transfer that brain into one of my pets… wouldn't that be something?"

"What would be more of an amazing thing is you leaving this building with your life in tact." Talia quips dropping into a fighting stance. She couldn't wait to get her hands on the woman who deceived her so thoroughly. Batman didn't know that Ivy approached her; not the other way around, suggesting the combination of elements as an answer to her father's problem. Being made a fool of in such a way meant her own death if she could not balance the scales with Ivy's life.

"Any chance you have reinforcements on the way?"

"Why?" Talia laughs. "Do you think we'll need them?"

"No. But it would certainly speed things up…"

**-Star City, Warehouse district-**

"Give it up Joker! Your toy is broken and your thugs are beaten!" Dove yells from the air. Taking out the Harley copy had been no easy feat. It was durable and strong. It shook off Dove's light attacks as well as Ollie's explosive arrows. It took Dinah getting up close and personal with the copy and directing her cry straight at Harley's head. The resulting explosion knocked her unconscious, but left Joker without his bodyguard.

When the smoke cleared Joker had fled deeper into the Warehouse. Dove couldn't imagine why he hadn't simply fled the building altogether.

"We need to-!"

"There is no we, Arrow, you stay here and watch over Canary. I'll deal with Joker." Dove commands confidently. She had never been around someone so purely and deeply evil. She has stood face to face against Darkseid and DeathStroke and even within those deeply maniacal men; she sensed there was some semblance of honorable qualities. Some reserve of goodness, however small, but within Joker, there was nothing.

Nothing but a pit of pure insanity and darkness.

Being an embodiment of light as she was, his very nature was anathema to her.

She can see Oliver open his mouth to protest so she shakes her head. "There's no arguing about it Arrow. This is something _**I**_ have to do…"

**-Elsewhere in the warehouse-**

"He'll kill me if he catches me…" Harley has been uttering the same phrase for the last five minutes, but has not stopped cutting Diana's bonds. Now that she is finally free she tries to get to her feet and fails.

"How long…?" Diana asks aggravated that her legs will not perform the simple function of standing. Something most two year olds can do. "Until… until I'm back to normal…?"

"Ivy said we had to dope you up every two or three hours… so the effects must wear off in that time… how long has it been… ya know? Since…?"

Diana wants to laugh at the question. Could the tortured really be expected to keep track of time? Every second feels like days. And the last time when Harley injected feels like months ago. "I do not know…" What she does know is that the sounds of battle have faded, meaning either help is on the way or this is going to be the shortest escape in history.

"Memba whatcha said… whatcha promised…" Harley whispers fearfully.

Diana looks up at the woman who seems to jump between cold hearted killer to abused child with ease and wonders if there might be some hope of rehabilitation for her.

_**Not with him around there isn't.**_

"I will not forget…" Diana whispers harshly. She may be grateful to be free, but she hasn't forgotten who helped her to be in this situation in the first place. "Are there any clothes around here?"

Before Harley can answer the door bursts open. "Quick Harls we have to-" When Joker takes note of the scene in front of him, his normally white faces burns red. "What do you think you're doing?"

"It wasn't me Puddin'! I swear! She-"

Whatever excuse Harley planned on using dies in her throat as she is lifted in the air like a rag doll by her shoulders and tossed into a wall. She crumples to the floor, breathing shallowly, the only thing that saves her from a broken neck is the fact she was taken by surprise. Her body didn't have a chance to tense up.

"Hey!" Diana cries out weakly. Enemy or not she wasn't going to stand by and let this happen.

"I'll return to you in a moment." Joker growls, without turning around. His voice softens as he speaks to his female partner in crime. "Now Harley… Harley, Harley, Harley… luv you made me do that, you understand?"

"Ye- ye- yes Muh- Muh- Mistah J…" Harley whimpers obviously in pain.

"And you know that anything- and I do mean anything that happens next- is only because I love you… right?" Joker asks caressing her rapidly swelling face.

Harley smiles nervously and nods like child being told to go to her room. Only her discipline will not be anywhere near as benevolent.

Without warning Joker's fist comes down hard striking her in the face and neck and Harley doesn't make a move to defend herself. Diana, having reached the end of her despair finally gives way to tears at the simple horror of it all. The room is silent except for her weak sobs of grief and the dull thud of Joker's blows.

"Oh dear me… I think I broke it…" Joker announces, panting heavily looking down at his work. Harley Quinn's face now just a mass of swollen purple. Diana finds herself hoping that the woman passed out with the first blow. Sparing her the pain and indignity of the beating. "Now, Princess I'm afraid we must be off because any moment-"

The door explodes in a kaleidoscope of white light blinding Diana completely. But the pain in her eyes is nothing compared to the screams of Joker, who sounds as if he is being burned alive.

"Evil such as yours cannot stand in the face of the White Light, Joker. I will burn the evil right from your very bones!" Diana recognizes the voice of Dove, one of the Teen Titans. She tries to open her eyes, but the entire room is engulfed in white.

"Arrgh!"

"Yes! Scream you evil twisted thing! Scream until your vocal chords rupture and your tongue splits but there will be no end to your suffering!" Although the voice is the same, the words Diana hears her saying sound nothing like the young girl she knew. Diana read that her powers have a connection to the order of the universe, but the connection is supposed to be small.

_**Perhaps Joker's connection to such fundamental darkness, coupled with his own innate evil have somehow awakened something else in her…**_

Joker continues to scream and Diana fears that the young hero may end up killing him. As much satisfaction it might give her to know he was dead, she realizes that if taken alive they may be able to learn more about Ares plans.

"Dove! Stop! Do not kill him!"

"Wonder Woman?" The surprise is evident in her voice. This hadn't been a rescue mission at all Diana realizes. The wattage dims, but is still quite intense as Dove calls out to her.

"Yes! I'm here!"

At once, the light from the room fades completely, causing Diana's head to pound at the extreme change. Though her vision is still blurred she can make out a blackened shape, previously suspended in mid-air, fall lifeless to the ground.

_**I may be too late anyway… **_

A small wheeze escapes Joker's charred lips letting her know she wasn't. "Oh my God…Diana…"

Diana, realizing how she must look attempts to distract her. "Where are the others?"

"Arrow and Canary are just behind me… Canary knocked herself out taking out Harley dupe… Is that?"

Diana nods sadly, wiping her face. Until that moment she hadn't realized she was still crying. "Harley Quinn… the real one… I'm not sure if… if…"

"What the hell?" Green Arrow enters the room carrying a still unconscious Canary. He heard the screams and came running, now taking in the scene, he immediately goes into action. Setting Dinah down gently in the doorway he searches for and finds a blanket handing it to Dove for her to give to Diana. "Star City's finest just pulled up, they're rounding up the Joker thugs… they'll want to take… that… as well I imagine…"

"No." Diana announces with steel that would make Batman proud. "He and Quinn come with us, back to Watchtower."

Oliver and Dove share a worried glance "Have you been able to contact the Tower?" Dove asks, wrapping the blanket about Diana's shoulders and helping her to her feet.

"No. We're still completely cut-off."

Diana raises an eyebrow in alarm. "What has happened?"

"No clue. We got word from Nightwing to check this location out and that the Watchtower was incommunicado only an hour ago… He didn't know why, but he said Bats sent someone up to handle it…"

"You can't worry about that now, Diana!" Dove insists sternly. "I'm taking her to your place Ollie to get her cleaned up. Why don't you synch up with Nightwing and Batman and have those two taken to the cave?"

Oliver starts to make a quip about her being as bossy as his last ex, but resists the urge. "Okay. I'll take the cycle and try to reach one of the Bat boys on the comm… For now, lets make sure these two are wrapped up tight…"

**-Gotham city, Warehouse-**

"Enough, Talia!"

"Not hardly!" Talia raises her fist to strike again. Even though Ivy is clearly unconscious, Talia was poised to deliever more punishment. Her goons were slightly more skilled than advertised. It took the two of then ten whole minutes to render the lot of them unconscious.

Ivy was a harder fight, but the combination of Batman's ingenuity and Talia's savagery made quick work of the botanist.

"Talia…" Batman grabs her wrist lightly. He knows in this state she's just as likely to turn that anger on him if he's not cautious. "The fight is finished."

Talia eyes him angrily, but makes not effort to shake free of his grip. "Fine." Talia allows Ivy to crumple to the floor. "It's not as if I can't find her later _**and take my time**_ with her…"

Choosing to ignore the threat of that statement Batman goes about the business of securing the villainess.

"When you first showed up, you mentioned Wonder Woman… she is a colleague of yours, yes?"

Batman nods and moves to the closest thug, binding his arms behind him. "She has gone missing, kidnapped. I thought that she may be here." Batman tries to avoid the thought that every second that passes makes it more and more unlikely he'll find her in time.

"Hmmph…" Talia watches him for a moment. "You care for her." A statement not a question.

"Of couse. As you say, she is a colleague." Batman doesn't look up from his work.

"No. You care for her… as you once did me… before-" As quickly as her veneer drops, it's back up again. "I can't say I agree with your choice of lovers, Batman."

"Strange to hear you question my judgment when it comes to women… but you'll be happy to hear that Wonder Woman and I are not lovers."

"Not yet…" Talia sighs unhappily and grabs Batman's shoulder. He turns to face her and finds her expression softened. "Was I such a mistake to you?"

"I never considered you a mistake… I still don't…" Before he knew who she was and what she stood for, Talia was a woman that he felt he could love. That he still had deep feelings for.

Talia caresses his exposed face lovingly, delighted he does not recoil or remove her hand. "Then there is yet still hope and hope-" She kisses his lips long and sweet. "Springs eternal."

Without another word she walks away. Batman knows she has no intention of staying around and tonight at least she's earned a break from justice.

Batman?

I'm running silent Arrow. Stay off this chan-

We found Diana.

_**A/N: I know! Another cliff hanger! Gotta keep you people interested! Next up: War on the Watchtower, Ares the collector and Dr. Bruce Wayne!**_


	17. Fatigue sets in

**A/N: Read, review and enjoy!**

**-Batcave, fourteen weeks ago-**

"Again."

"This is pointless!"

They've been at it now for over three hours. Peter is drenched in sweat; his fighting togs cling to him uncomfortably. When he begged Batman for the opportunity to work along side him, fighting crime, he hadn't imagined this.

He went to bed every night aching and sore but hadn't seen any progress. With his abilities, he assumed that eventually he would be able to stand toe to toe with the Dark Knight. So far he had been wrong.

The young man has found that not only was Batman the superior fighter, his stamina was superhuman as well. Peter was always near his limit at the end of these sessions while Batman's brow had the barest hint of perspiration.

"How so?" Batman asks maintaining his fighting stance, but allowing an amused smirk to pass over his face.

In his short time here, Peter has learned that Batman's questions always served a double purpose. It wasn't just about the answer, but _**how**_ you answered. Peter thought carefully before answering. "Working out to the point of exhaustion doesn't do me a bit of good."

"No?" Batman still looks amused.

"No." Peter answers flatly. "We both know the upper limits of my stamina, what I can and can't do and for how long… I don't see any reason for this except to give you the opportunity to show you're better than me." Peter continues bitterly.

"What makes me better than you, Peter?" Batman questions dryly. "More skilled? Sure, but that's to be expected. More tactically solid? Of course and again, given that I've been training for this for as long as you've been alive, that's also a given. But, _**better**_, is an extremely subjective term…" Without another word Batman wheels and aims a kick at Peter. Peter avoids it, but falls flat on his back out of fatigue.

Bruce stands over Peter for a moment as the young man glares at him from the floor, before offering his hand. Despite how hard he had been pushing the Peter, Bruce is proud of his progress but there was a point that he knew he needed to drive home.

"Is young Master Peter _**allowed**_ to break for lunch yet?" Alfred asks over the intercom system breaking the tension for a moment. It seemed to Peter that Alfred had perfected his role as referee between Batman and his protégés. He consistently called a time out any time it became necessary.

Pressing a button on the wall, Bruce answers. "In ten minutes, Alfred." Just as consistent was the Batman's penchant for delaying those time outs.

Toweling off his face, Peter can't help but comment. "So is _**ten minutes**_ vigilante for two hours?"

Ignoring his attempts at wit, as he often does, Batman asks Peter a question that seems foolish considering the situation. "Do you know why you're so tired, Peter?"

Peter's mouth opens his mouth to offer another razor sharp retort. "I suppose you're going to tell me it's got _**nothing **_to do with the hours of intense exercise?"

Bruce tosses Peter a water bottle and answers. "You expend maximum effort in _**everything**_ you do. Every punch, kick, every single move."

"Am I not supposed to?" Peter asks incredulously. The man had told him from the beginning that this was _**exactly**_ what he expected and_** all**_ that would be accepted.

"You are supposed to start to _**recognize**_ how you can use your opponents' energy to supplement your own. Race car drivers call it, drafting." Noting the confusion on Peter's face, Bruce sighs. Tim picked up on this quickly, Dick not as fast as Tim, but early on. Barbara and Jason never seemed to get it, but they were both too passionate to really understand the concept of holding back. He hopes Peter is different in that respect.

"I know, I mean, I get it- about using an opponent's momentum to my advantage-"

"That is only one aspect…" Bruce sighs, trying to think of another example. "Athletes, the great ones, know how to conserve energy throughout the contest and then expel it in bursts. What you will learn, _**what I will teach you**_, is how to conserve energy and use it only when absolutely necessary…"

**-Watchtower, lab level, right now-**

So, even though Peter began his day with a workout, interrupted by an attack from Slade Wilson, which then led to a battle with several super powered robots both on earth and on the Watchtower, he wasn't at his breaking point. All thanks to his teacher, part time tormentor; Batman.

"How are you holding up, Spiderman?" Vixen heard rumors about Spiderman, but seeing him in action was another story. His agility was off the charts. Even with her ability to mimic animals, she couldn't match him.

"Fresh as a daisy, pretty lady," Peter answers webbing up another set of drones in his path. He and Power Girl made it to the floor where the Joker was holed up only to run into a haggard Vixen fighting off a half a dozen combatants.

"If we are to stop my masters' copy we need to get past these sentries…" Power Girl responds smashing the heads of two drones together. They clatter to the ground, but soon are on their feet again. Nothing seems to put them down for good.

"If you got any ideas sister, I'd love to hear them…" Vixen counters angrily. Even though the appearance of Spiderman had been timely, she didn't like the idea of fighting alongside a copy of a woman who she considered a friend. That such believable copies could be made of them disturbed her.

Leaving Hawkgirl, Flash and Artemis behind in disturbed her even more.

**-Watchtower level one, twenty-five minutes ago-**

"Nice!" Flash shouts over the blaring alarm horn.

"I always say; if the door is locked, just break a window!" Hawkgirl quips, securing her mace back to her belt.

The lockdown protocols meant that even with the proper security clearance, the hangar doors would remain closed. Using the combined efforts of her mace and the ships weapons, they manage to create a hole just to the side of the hangar doors. Disabling the locks and allowing them to board the Tower.

"Don't encourage her Flash! That plan was extremely reckless and dangerous!" Vixen chastises angrily, but then breaks into a smile. "That's _**my**_ department!"

"Where is this alarm being generated from?" Artemis asks, attempting to get the three heroes refocused. "Did we trip this with our entry, or-"

"We tripped this one… once the system recognizes the hangar pressure has been restored it should cut off… but someone or something _**is**_ attempting to access the secure functions of the Watchtower's systems without the proper code authority…" Flash answers over the blare of the alarm. "Anyone on this channel…? Copy?" Flash tires to get his comm-link to work, but there is no response. He figured there wouldn't be one. They were cut off from anyone who might be aboard the station and from any JL members planet-side. That was also part of lockdown protocol.

"Whatever is going on we need to neutralize the situation,_** fast**_." Hawkgirl adds, trying to get a hallway computer panel to work. She hopes that at least the basic functions are still unlocked. She wants to get an idea of who is actually up here now and who isn't supposed to be.

"Fast, happens to be my department, my winged beauty!" Flash jokes with a smile and a mock salute. "I'll be back in a sec-"

"Does he always-"

"-ond."

"-do that?" Artemis is surprised by the speedsters' sudden return.

"Yes." Vixen and Hawkgirl both answer.

"What do you want first; bad news or worse news?" Flash asks without the trace of a smile.

"Bad news." Hawkgirl answers, giving up her futile quest to activate the hallway panel.

"Bad news is the whole station is in lockdown. Every level is not only cut off from every other one, but the override points are being guarded by drone sentries from the training room."

Hawkgirl and Vixen exchange a worried glance. Those drones were Superman's idea, but they were designed by Batman. Fusing Earth and alien technology, each of them was like half a Superman with none of the weaknesses.

Normally there were safety protocols in place. It allowed them to be challenging opponents, but not life-threatening. But it was doubtful whoever set all this in motion was likely to leave those safety locks engaged.

"That means that it's likely the person behind this is still on board and that they're not done they're work yet…" Vixen adds hopefully. If there was still someone here to pummel that made it all the better for her.

Flash nods. "Yeah, which brings me to the worse news-" Before Flash can respond, he is throttled against Artemis hard by a gust of gale force wind. The force of the impact as their two bodies hit the wall leaves a sickening thud in the air. Both are clearly hurt, Flash is unconscious. The other two are thrown to the floor, spared the brunt of the attack.

"I imagine, Flash's _**worse news**_ was concerning me…" Red Tornado stands in front of a shocked Hawkgirl and Vixen dragging a battered and bloody Superman behind him. "I- I am sorry-"

Red Tornado fires another blast at them, but this time Hawkgirl is better prepared and braces herself. "Vixen, you've got to get out of here!" Hawkgirl begins battering the winds back with her Nth metal mace, countering its effects.

"Not a chance!"

"We don't know who is still here and I can't hold him back for long!" Hawkgirl argues. In her mind she knew short of destroying the synthetic man, she didn't stand a chance against Tornado, but she could hold him off long enough for Vixen to round up the others.

If there were any others, which she doubted given the state of Superman, but someone had to be conscious enough to try and stop whatever this was.

"What about-?"

"Flash'll recover and Artemis is as tough as the come! You need to get to the upper levels and put a stop to this!" Hawkgirl swings her mace at Tornado who drops Superman's body long enough to counter it with his forearm.

"I suggest she take the air conditioning ducts up to the lab level. There are no defense protocols on them yet since the HVAC system was just updated." Red Tornado answers plainly, while still attacking Hawkgirl. "From there she will still encounter resistance in the hallway, but it's the best chance we have at stopping Joker…"

In between swings of her mace, through clenched teeth Hawkgirl asks: "We? Are you seriously trying to kill us or help us?"

"The Joker copy may have corrupted my body, but the higher functions of my programming remain as yet untouched. I cannot resist in fighting you, but I'm not bound from helping you…"

Vixen and Hawkgirl share one last glance before Vixen using her animal abilities, leaps into the air duct above her. She would need to climb up to the forty-third level to reach the lab control room where Joker would be waiting.

**-Watchtower, lab level, right now-**

"Looks like you could use a hand, Vixen." Power Girl pushes three drones backward down the hall, away from Vixen. She reaches down to help her to her feet.

Vixen grudgingly takes her hand and gets to her feet. "Thanks… uh… Power Girl… maybe that will finally put them down…" She manages to only groan slightly as the three drones get to their feet and head towards them in a full on sprint. "So much for that…"

"Well, one thing is for sure; this approach is getting us nowhere…" Peter mumbles evading the frontal attack, countering with low level explosives. The windows in the corridor may be reinforced, but he did not want to take any chances.

Peter had to admit, the strategy of the copy was flawless.

Take control of the minor sub-systems, like the training drones, set them with the task of preventing anyone from reaching the lab, while he finished his work. All this was only a delaying tactic while Joker continued to try and gain total control of the station.

Had he tried this in the main control room he would have been able to infect more systems in a shorter time frame, but been more open to a counter-attack as well.

This corridor is the only way to get to the lab while there were at least half a dozen entrances to the main control room.

_**The hallway also works to our advantage in a sense that even though we're outnumbered two to one, they can't really take advantage of their numbers. But getting past them is also impossible…**_ _**So what do we do then? We'll eventually get over run! **_

"You're Batman's protégé… what would he- unh! – do?" Only her powers of animal mimicry save keep her head attached to her shoulders, but Peter knows that the longer this continues, the less that will be the case.

_**Vixen's right. What do I know about these drones? Normally they're programmed to deactivate with a certain number of strikes, but they could realistically function until they run out of power or are severely damaged. **_

_**Since they were designed to withstand blows from the last son of Krypton himself, damaging them that much will be no easy feat. **_

_**But this is Batman we're talking about! He would have designed them with a shutoff failsafe of some sort. There's got to be some way to deactivate them if they were going haywire- wait!**_

"PG, catch!" Peter swings a hapless drone in the direction of Power Girl who catches it in surprise.

"Ok, I caught him, now what-?"

Peter doesn't answer; he simply delivers a two-fingered blow to the automaton's ear. One audible click later and it falls lifeless to the floor.

"What?"

"Aim for the left ear, two inches inside the canal there's an auto off switch!" Peter yells rejoining Vixen who was close to being overwhelmed.

"Could really use Flash for something like this!" Vixen yells once Peter returns to her side. They may have found the off switch, but they still had to get into position in order to use it.

"Who you telling?" Peter counters, trying to maneuver into position to incapacitate another drone. Of course, Batman designed them to be adaptive in nature, which meant it would not be as easy to shut off the other five. "Everyone who could have resolved this situation in seconds has been shut down! Lantern, Atom, Flash, Supes or J'onn could have taken care of this in under a minute!" Peter has to wonder if that wasn't the point. 

"Well then let's hope you have not killed the Martian then…" Power Girl adds casually poking a thumb into the ear of a drone.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Vixen yells.

**-Outside the Watchtower, forty minutes ago-**

"What is that there?"

Spiderman follows the outstretched arm of Power Girl and notes that a portion of the Watchtower appears to be on fire. "Beats me toots, you're the one with the telescopic vision!"

At first there is no response, then after a moment Power Girl speaks again. "Martian Manhunter is… he's on fire!"

"Take us over there!" Spiderman's order is unnecessary as the two are already streaking towards him. They had to get into the Tower fast, Power Girl may not need to breathe, but he did. And his oxygen supply was limited.

"J'onn?" Spiderman asks once they're close enough. _**Idiot, he can't hear you!**_

_**Now I can…**_

_**Right- telepath…-uh… what's-?**_

_**Lantern… Atom… both taken out by Red Tornado… likely… likely under the influence of the Joker copy… doused me with a chemical… burns… burns so badly…**_

Spiderman notes that the lack of oxygen hasn't stopped the flames in the slightest. The chemical composition would be worth studying when this was all over.

_**We'll help you… we just need to get you back inside…**_

… _**I can make the two of you intangible enough to get through the hull and then you need to stop the robot before he gains complete control of the station…**_

When J'onn grabs their hands, Peter expects to feel the heat from the flames but he doesn't, just a tickle as the Manhunter phases them through the hull.

_**There…! Ungh…**_

The effort that requires takes its toll on the Martian and he collapses to the floor. He may not need to breathe like humans do, but Peter has no idea what long term effects the chemical will have on his unique biology.

"Will he-?"

"I have no idea." Peter answers honestly taking off his space suit. "But I can at least do something to hopefully stabilize him…" Reaching into his belt he pulls out two pellets and tosses them onto J'onn's unconscious form. In an instant the man is covered in white foam. Seconds later, the foam hardens.

"What is it?"

"A fire retardant foam that Batman whipped up. Was supposed to be used to stop some jerk named Firefly, but this should at least smother the flames …" Peter hoped that the foam would ease the obvious pain J'onn was in.

"Are you sure he won't need to breathe?"

**-Watchtower, Lab Level, right now-**

"Quit being so melodramatic, PG-13, he'll be fine!" Peter wasn't sure about that, but he couldn't worry about it now. "In fact, you and Vixen need to head to the Main Control station!"

Peter knew that if they had a hope of regaining control of the station someone needed to reset the primary systems in the control room and stop the copy. You couldn't reboot the system from the lab level and once the infiltration was stopped there was no telling if they'd even be able to reach the control room.

With most of the station on lock down it would be better to have someone at the ready when order was restored.

"That's idiotic!" Vixen had no intention of leaving. She already left Hawkgirl on her own against Red Tornado and since neither of them has turned up yet, she's wondering if she made the right call.

"Actually, I believe he's correct." Power Girl announces, twisting the arm of a drone until she's able to wrench it free.

"What?"

"Now that we've discerned how to deactivate the drones he should be able to get into the lab and stop Joker. Once he does, someone will need to reactivate the communications and teleportation array."

_**Have to have a talk with Hiro about just how well he knows our systems…**_

"Why can't he just do that when he stops the copy?" Vixen drops a drone and jams a finger into its ear. It still struggles under her leg. "What gives?"

Spiderman leaps over an attacker and webs the drone Vixen is unable to deactivate, to the wall. "I was afraid of this…" Peter knew that there was the possibility that not all the drones would have the same deactivation function as the ones in the Cave. And there wouldn't be a way to distinguish them either, because that would give Batman an advantage in a training situation. "There are a couple other ways they can be shut down, just please, get up there!"

"How will we even know when you've stopped the copy… _**if**_ you can stop him at all?" Vixen asks elbowing a nearby drone.

"PG and I have our own communicators, when I've shut him down I'll let her know, ok?" Peter offers keeping himself between the ladies and the drones.

Power Girl and Vixen both hesitate.

"Now!" Peter yells in a tone that sounds so much like the Dark Knight himself it scares him. But it has the desired effect. The two of them get moving.

"Won't the control room be even more heavily protected?" Vixen asks as they leave.

"Can't do anything there with the controls locked out, so there's no reason for him to waste resources guarding it…" It was really only a theory of Peter's; one he desperately hopes is correct, because if he's wrong, he may be sending both women to their deaths.

Holding off the three remaining drones with electric blasts from his gauntlet he begins formulating a plan.

_**The other two common deactivation points he built into these things are under the right arm and in the small of the back… If I watch their attacks carefully I should be able to determine which areas they're protecting the most.**_

Spiderman stops attacking and waits. Because of the narrowness of the corridor the first drone steps forward to attack alone.

_**Favoring kick attacks and short jabs… hello right armpit…**_

Evading the combinations, Peter wades in carefully and when he finds an opening he strikes decisively.

The other two fall in succession. After waiting for his openings he targets the back of one and the armpit of the other. With that done, he hopes that Joker doesn't have any more surprises.

"I can see why Batman has so much confidence in you-"

His spider sense screams a warning and he narrowly avoids the blast. From his position on the wall he takes note of a heavily damaged but still functional Red Tornado. Damage likely sustained from battling Superman, Hawkgirl and Artemis.

"You've seen better days Red…" Peter quips, holding his side. He may have avoided Tornado's attack, but in doing so he felt something tear from his ribcage.

"Hawkgirl and Artemis are… spirited fighters… but for the most part only human…" There's the smallest hint of sadness in his voice. "Much like you…" Although obviously slowed by the damage he'd taken, Tornado is still very fast.

Spiderman, taxed beyond his limits isn't able to avoid several of the blows administered by the robot and ends up on the floor coughing up blood.

_**Ugh… man… something is definitely broken inside… can't think about that now… wait his chest…**_

Within his now open chest cavity Peter spots a green pulse.

_**Lantern's ring… if I can get to it…**_

Tornado helps his cause by lifting Spiderman up by the throat, choking him.

"My base programming will not allow me to kill thankfully, but I have to incapacitate you… I am sorry…"

Straining and gasping for air, Spiderman manages to fire a web shot into the compartment pulling the ring free.

"What do you hope to do with that, Spiderman? Only approved Lanterns may-"

Focusing all his will he manages a burst of green energy to separate the two of them. Tossing Tornado down the hall. Sputtering to catch his breath, he slides the ring onto his finger.

Not likely to manage that again… but I may have bought myself some time…

Spiderman opens the lab to find Joker sitting confidently in a lab chair, tubes jutting from his body directly into the console.

"And along came a spider…" Joker quips not stopping his task. "I'll be with you in a minute…"

Spiderman removes the device Hiro gave him and points it in the direction of Joker. With a click and whir, Joker shuts down retracting the cables and falling to the floor.

"Sorta anticlimactic…" Spiderman grumbles leaning against the wall gingerly. "Power Girl… reset the systems…" He vaguely hears her confirm his order.

"That was impressive… what you did with the ring-" Tornado appears in the doorway, when he notes the condition of the young hero he stops short. "I hope I didn't cause you any permanent harm…" Tornado offers coming into the room.

"I'll let you know the second I regain consciousness…."

Without another word Spiderman sinks to the floor unconscious

**-Just above Wayne Manor-**

What have you got for me, Nightwing?

Most of the targets have been taken out, still waiting on reports from some of the others, but we have eighteen confirms-

Good.

Anything on your end? Did you locate-

I need you to take over coordinating the rest of the efforts, follow up on anyone not responding.

What do you think I been doing? Batman what about-?

Batman, out.

Bruce shuts off his communicator and barrels towards the side of a hill, just behind Wayne Manor. He rarely took this entrance, because it was too close to his civilian home. It was only to be used in emergencies, but tonight qualifies.

From what Oliver told him, Diana was in bad shape and given the state of undress in which they found her, he could only imagine the horrors she endured. Until he could be sure of her safety, he wouldn't update the others.

Soon as his plane penetrates the false rock face and enters the cave he ejects allowing the auto pilot to self guide into the landing area. The instant his feet touch the stone floor he sprints to the recovery room.

Green Arrow intercepts him.

"Hold on there, Bats!" Oliver holds up his hands. "Take a breath."

Fighting his instinct to level Oliver with a punch he stops. "What's her status, Arrow?"

"Stable." He announces watching Batman warily. He'd never seen him this keyed up. He and most of the others always looked to him to be the calm, cold center of clarity. "Dove and Dinah are cleaning her up, she's pretty battered and bruised, but her injuries don't seem fatal."

Bruce would have preferred Alfred to verify that. There was no one he trusted more when it came to such matters, but Alfred was Bruce Wayne's butler and only a select few in the League know that he and Batman are the same person. "Fine." Batman forces himself to become detached again. "Quinn and Joker are in custody?"

Oliver nods. "Yeah Harley Quinn is still conscious… but I don't think Joker will be up for talking for quite some time…" Oliver explains to Batman what happened when Dove encountered Joker and how she nearly flash fried him to death.

"I'll question Harley later… now I would like to check in on Wonder Woman." Batman states with a firmness that indicates it is not a request. Oliver nods.

"Of course…"

**-BatCave, recovery room-**

After taking a shower and allowing Dinah and Dove to bandage some of her wounds, Diana almost feels normal again. Her body still aches with what Joker did to her, but the pain is beginning to fade as well. She knows that the memories of tonight will linger longer than the wounds.

From a distance she can hear his voice, talking to Oliver. She wonders if he will come and see how she is. Her head sinks back into the pillow as Dove and Dinah look over the monitors.

_**No Diana… He'll question Harley Quinn first of course… he won't be sidetracked because-**_

"Diana…?"

She looks up to see Batman staring down at her with obvious concern on his face. It was the same look she saw when he thought she was buried under rubble, possibly dead. She was deeply touched.

"Batman…." She didn't know what else to say.

"Uh… we should probably synch up with the rest of the ground teams, Dove, see if there's any news on the Watchtower…" Dinah suggests, sensing the heavy mood present in the room.

"Right… uh… we'll let you know the minute we find anything out Batman…" Dove announces, picking up on Dinah's hint. "Should probably check on our prisoners too, before we go…" Dove hadn't been around the League long, but she'd been a member long enough to know some things she needed to stay out of.

Despite her curiosity.

Batman's eyes never leave Diana's but he nods in agreement. When the two leave and close the door behind them, he waits for a beat and then speaks. "How bad?"

Darkness clouds her normally bright eyes. "I'll live." But she wasn't entirely sure of the conviction of her words. Her most intimate interaction with a man before the events of the past few days had been beyond mild. Now, violated in ways she had only read of, or heard about second hand, left her wondering if she could ever bear the touch of a man again.

The two sit in silence for a while. The both of them wrapped tightly within their own thoughts. Batman, for his part wishes he could have been the one to find Diana.

Instead of tangling with Poison Ivy and Talia he would have preferred to have been the one to confront Joker. Although some good did come from the encounter with Ivy. He was able to return her to prison where she belonged. Having her off the streets was definitely a good thing.

Diana breaks the silence with a bitter chuckle. "All the times I wanted to get a moment alone with you, this was _**not**_ what I had in mind…"

"Diana…"

"What's going on with the Watchtower…?" Diana interrupts; avoiding what she could only assume was going to be another "we can't do this speech." Not because she didn't agree, but because of all she'd been through, she was beginning to see his side of the argument.

Batman tells her all that he knows. Once he gets her up to speed on the duplicates, Hiro, and Ares, she's even angrier than before.

"Do you know why Circe would have done this to you…?" Batman asks. While he knew that the sorceress' hatred for Diana ran deep, he didn't see her allying herself with the Joker. Then again he didn't see Ares forming an alliance with Vandal Savage either. None of these collaborations made any sense at all.

"I think… I'm not entirely sure it was her…" Diana answers sitting up in bed. She can feel her strength slowly returning. "Could she do something like this? Of course, but she wouldn't risk the wrath of Athena… or my mother…"

Batman knew firsthand just how formidable an opponent Hippolyta could be. "It didn't make sense to me that she would reveal herself to you, to us, so easily…" Circe could have just as easily kept up the appearance of Batman when Diana figured out something was amiss. Whoever was behind this, wanted them chasing after Circe, wanted them following a lead that would delay them getting to Wonder Woman.

It almost worked.

"You saw how she… uh… tricked me…?" The realization that he knew about Circe brought with it the embarrassment he saw the kiss.

"…yes…" Batman turns away, slightly embarrassed himself. Everyone, including him saw just how passionately Diana returned that kiss. If he had any questions about how she felt for him, they were gone. If he had questions about how he felt about her, tonight also destroyed them.

"I'd ask how, but I already know the answer… cameras, right?"

Bruce can tell that she is not happy with this, but is compelled to be honest with her. "Yes. But they are only to be used in extreme situations… once we saw the condition of your room and the fact no one could reach you on the communicator… we had to know what happened…"

Diana simply nods and lies back down on the bed. With another silence now between them, he takes a look at her vital signs. Noting that all his attention is now on the display, curiosity gets the better of her.

"What?"

"The toxin they used to sap your strength… I've seen this composition before…"

"I'm not surprised… Ivy worked with someone with knowledge of Amazonian flora and fauna to come up with it…"

Batman nods, turning from the display. "It'll take at least another twenty-four hours to work its way from your system… you'll stay here until you recover…"

The words were said innocently enough, but they rubbed Diana wrong. "Will I-?" Diana sits up, albeit painfully.

Batman places a hand on her shoulder and to his dismay, Diana flinches. "When you are fully recovered…" Batman removes his hand quickly, picking up on her discomfort. He'd seen this before; trauma like she's experienced was bound to have some lingering effects. "Then you are welcome to rejoin the fight. Until then…"

Diana falls back in her bed discouraged. "What will you do next?"

"First, I'm going to make sure that Alfred makes you something to eat… and then… I'm going to have a very unpleasant conversation." Batman grits his teeth in anger. He was looking forward to sitting down with the Joker.

**-Metropolis Tower, 92****nd**** floor-**

"Finally!"

"Was there ever any doubt?"

She doesn't answer because if she were to be honest, he would not like the answer. There were times she didn't think they could fulfill all the needed conditions, that the artifacts of power would never reveal themselves.

Even stranger that a man like Lex Luthor would have such an item in his possession with no idea of its power.

Lyta looks down at Lex Luthor as well as the seventeen other members of his security force. Lex was one of the few that is still breathing.

To his credit, the human put up a decent fight, but between her father, Savage and herself the outcome of the contest was never in doubt. All the weapons in world wouldn't halt the three of them or even slow them down.

"To think I once considered allying myself with such a dullard…" Savage snorts angrily, giving Luthor an unceremonious kick. "All this time he had an item in his office that could bring gods to their knees and he never knew it…"

Ares doesn't bother to point out that Savage would not have known the items true origin either without him because the usefulness of Savage had run its course. It was well past time to put an end to their alliance in Ares' opinion.

He may not ever admit it, but without Savage's connections and resources this plot would have taken longer to execute.

The artifacts were pieces of note within mythology, but as was often the case with myths, the whole story was only known to a few.

The sword of Peleus was the first item recovered; said to give its wielder victory in any battle. But there was an additional quality to it. Its edge is sharp enough to split atoms and anyone struck by it is instantly drained of their vitality. An invaluable weapon when dealing with men who can juggle 747's.

The shield of Ajax was the second; the perfect accessory for Ares plans since it absorbs all forms of energy and transfers its power to the user. History makes no note of this fact, since at the time it was in use; its primary function had been turning away blades not energy.

But having been there at the time of its forging, Ares knew all about it.

The Hide of the Nemean lion was the third piece. The beast that Heracles felled was the most fearsome in the land at the time, so he fashioned the hide into armor and then had it enchanted by Zeus himself.

The final piece was the ring of Gyges, said to give the user invisibility. That was really an incorrect translation. It made the wearer untouchable to the point they seemed invisible, because their opponent could not land a blow.

These four items on their own, in the hands of the right person, were deadly, but when combined they were destruction.

When the world of men was young, Zeus noticed his children were petty and given to childish outbursts which at times harmed mankind. He decided to make it so should any of his kind get truly out of hand that a champion, upon collecting the four pieces could right the situation. Of course, the champion was to be of his choosing, as was the target. He would empower the weapons once the champion was chosen.

It was not supposed to be his son who would gather them together again. And Ares was definitely not supposed to be able to unleash their power either.

In fact to make sure such a thing was impossible; Zeus hid their true nature and placed conditions on them that would leave them unrevealed until met. If one knew what they were looking for they could find them, but they would be just trinkets if the conditions were not satisfied.

The first was for a god to loose faith in their champion.

The second was for a warrior to shed tears of despair.

The third was for a mortal to die and live again three times.

The fourth was for an immortal to die at the hands of the woman he loves.

Once that happens, the ring Lex kept in a display case in his Metropolis office would be active and the power of the pieces of four would be unlocked.

"Daughter, it is time…"

_**A/N: Next up, the unlocking! And the despair that follows…**_


	18. Too late to turn back now

**A/N: Read, review and enjoy!**

**-Batcave, now-**

"I hate to disagree with you-"

"But you're going to anyway-"

"Given the nature of your relationship with him… before the events of the last few weeks… perhaps it may be better for you to wait before speaking to him..."

"Alfred…" Bruce made sure Diana was comfortable and after watching her tear into the food Alfred brought her, he excused himself. There was someone else he needed to talk to.

"I'm just concerned that with all that's happened… his normal provocation will elicit a different response than usual…" Alfred raises a concerned eyebrow in the direction of Batman.

Bruce opens his mouth to argue, but Batman knows the truth; he wants Joker to push him. He wants the clown to give him a reason, any reason at all to do what he's often thought about doing. How many lives would have been spared unnecessary pain if he had taken the very first opportunity to rid the world of him?

He's never lied to Alfred before and he doesn't intend to begin tonight.

"I can't say you're not right…" Bruce whirls turning back to face the man who since the death of his parents has become like a father to him. He rests his hands on Alfred's shoulders lightly, noting, not for the first time, how much strength rests in the frail looking form. "But we need answers, Alfred… We need to know what we're up against and there have already been losses on our side… too many losses…"

With the communication back up on the Tower, J'onn gave him the rundown.

Flash, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern and Atom were recovering from minor injuries. Spiderman had multiple injuries but is expected to make a full recovery. Red Tornado is severely damaged and Superman will likely be out of commission for the foreseeable future. Several other reserve members were unaccounted for and a search was being conducted of the Tower to see if they could be found. But for now, the League was at half strength at best.

Now was not the time for kid gloves.

"I know, just… just remember; he would like nothing better than to destroy everything you stand for. It's always been his goal."

To say the Joker has been fixated with Batman would be an understatement. Nearly all of his crimes had an element designed specifically to break the spirit of the crime-fighter. Joker may not know of Batman's origins, of his parents' brutal murder, but it sure seemed that Joker enjoyed tormenting those close to him.

"And you cannot allow what Batman stands for to be tarnished." Alfred holds Bruce's gaze until Bruce nods and heads off to the imprisonment wing of the Cave.

He created it just for this situation; interrogation. And although he liked to be prepared for anything, he never imagined using it for Joker. Normally, Bruce was satisfied with turning Joker over to the authorities, his schemes unraveled by the time cuffs were on him. This time it was different.

"… _**can he swing from a thread? Take a look overhead**_…"

"Joker." Batman takes note of the disheveled mess sitting in the center of the Plexiglas cell. Dove and Dinah had left him with a blanket, but there were no clothes given to him. Batman supposes given the fact that Dove nearly killed him he should be thankful they gave him that. His normally ash white skin is covered with what look like second degree burns. If left like this, Batman wouldn't have to kill him; he'd die from infection in no time.

"Hey bats…? Mind turning down the heat a touch? Feels like Beelzebub is breathing down my neck…" Most of his green hair was gone as well, yet he still enjoys playing the fool.

"You know why I'm here." Batman stands as close to the cell walls as he dares, battling with the rage boiling within him. "Let's skip the part where you _**play coy**_ and I _**threaten**_ you."

Joker sighs as a shiver overtakes him; his body likely still trying to cope with the massive damage it's taken. "Yeah, that is becoming a bit _**"old hat"**_ now isn't it?" He attempts to smile, but the muscles in his face are fairly damaged and it comes out more like a grimace. "How'd you like the work I did on the Amazon from the planet Lesbos? I think that with a few more _**therapy sessions**_ I could've had her playing for our team again. Whatdya think?"

"I think you're dying." Batman states flatly. "And while I know you have no problem killing, the last thing you want is to count out your last days in this cage…"

Joker looks around at his new prison and shrugs. "Here, Arkham; what does it matter?" This time, with great effort, he manages to smile. "I'll go to my grave knowing I beat you. Again. Just like I did with your little birdie…"

Batman bristles a bit, but keeps his face stoic. "If that's all you have to say…" He turns to walk away from Joker.

Joker stands and limps closer to Batman. "She was wet for me, did you know that? She was beginning to like it. No. _**I'm lying**_. She was beginning to _**love it**_!"

Batman stops and turns. In his heart he knows this is just another lie. That Joker wants to wind him up, but given the mental and physical condition Diana was in, he knew. He knew that Joker had violated her in even more profane ways than he could have ever imagined.

There's a moment where neither man; Joker or Bruce, know what is going to happen next. Given another moment, both men would have had their answer.

"Batbrain! C'mere!" Harley calls from further down the hall. Her voice snaps both men from their spell.

"Harleeeeeee! You keep your trap shut!" Joker yells. He tries to come across menacingly, but it ends up sounding more like a man at the end of his rope.

"Do you want to tell me something, Harley?" Batman asks keeping eye contact with Joker. Even better than getting Joker to give him the information he needed would be getting his beloved Harley Quinn to betray him out of love.

"If ya promise to take care of Mistah J, I'll tell you everything you want to know!" Somehow Harley still had not learned that every good deed goes punished when it comes to the Joker.

Joker's face is lit with anger, but he doesn't say anything more. From the looks of him, Batman isn't sure if he's able to do much more than sulk at this point. "Tell me what you know and I'll decide if it's worth saving your man."

When Batman walks away from him, he's slumped in a corner.

Defeated.

**-Metropolis Tower, 92****nd**** floor-**

"Yes… I was wondering when you would get around to betraying me…" Vandal Savage laughs turning to Lyta and her father. He planned on doing the same at some point. At least to her father, Lyta had become something important to him.

Apparently the old man, didn't know how deeply their relationship ran.

"Then why stick around so long?" The question comes equipped with an amused look.

"You may be an "Agent of Ares" the so-called God of War, but you have no clue when it comes to tactics." Vandal announces smugly.

"Enlighten me." While around Savage, Ares had kept up his disguise; playing the guide to their quest while not revealing his true nature. The fact that Savage had not uncovered the truth on his own only lent weight to his initial feeling of the man.

"Your daughter told me of your plans to betray me early on in our partnership. She has chosen _**love over blood**_." Savage reveals confidently. After a night of intense love-making, a tearful Lyta revealed her father's plan to him. Of course he found it endearing that she was so concerned over the fate of someone who could not die. From that moment, he can say he loved her.

"Is this true, Lyta?" Ares asks with a knowing smile. He had told her to take him into her confidence carefully, using her magic to reinforce the idea of intimacy in his head. While Savage thinks they've been intimate multiple times in their partnership, the closest Lyta has come to intimacy has been a kiss here and there.

"It is father." Lyta answers slipping her arm into Savage's. "We are in love, aren't we Vandal?"

"And out of that love, I will offer you the _**opportunity**_ to leave the items in my care. Once I conquer the world, I _**may**_ even give you a continent of your own to rule… Australia perhaps…?"

"Very generous… may I offer a _**counter proposal**_?"

The smile that had been on Vandal's face disappears, replaced with a look of confusion. He is having trouble breathing and his chest feels warm. He looks down to find the point of the _**Sword of Peleus**_ sticking from his chest.

Savage turns to Lyta, knowing it had been her to plunge the blade through him. His eyes bear questions that he cannot get his mouth to form.

He drops to his knees painfully and attempts to speak.

"Shhh… Savage… go quietly into that good night…" Ares squats in front of the dying immortal, dropping his façade completely. Savage's eyes are now as wide as saucers. "You have lived longer than any _**normal man**_ should, seen things that most humans can only dream of. Enjoy your rest."

"Urk… cough… how…?"

"You thought that a weapon that could bring down _**gods**_ couldn't bring low a _**caveman infected with a meteorite poisoning**_? Immortality is wasted on one such as you. What good is living all these centuries if you remain a _**dullard**_?" Ares walks behind Savage and pulls the blade from him using his foot for leverage. Savage falls forward on his face. The man, though dying is not dead yet.

"Father, finish him please…" Lyta pleads. Although everything between them had been an act, she still feels something for the man she had been pretending to love all this time.

Her father shrugs and with the toe of his boot kicks the gasping Savage over on his back. "Take solace in the fact you have helped a _**better ruler**_ than you could have ever been ascend." With a final swipe of the blade, Vandal Savage's head is torn clean from his body.

**-Watchtower, infirmary-**

"I know that you're not sleep Peter…"

"… He knows when you're sleeping; he knows when you're… ugh… cough… why does it feel like my bones have been replaced with shards of glass?" Peter attempts to sit up and manages to do so with effort. Each breath is difficult, but he's curious to find out what's going on.

"That could likely be because you have several broken ribs and when you collapsed you forced one of them nick your lungs… I was able to manually reset them and they're healing surprisingly fast…"

J'onn turns to his patient. He has seen many heroes come through these halls, but Spiderman was something special. The young man was what he imagined you'd get if you could somehow combine Batman and Superman; taking only the best qualities of both. He could out think a situation like Batman and act with decisiveness. He is also powerful, but very aware of the weaknesses of others. His intellect was paired with a great well of empathy that Batman at times lacked.

Or at least he refused to show.

"_**Manually**_…? Know what? Nevermind… I'm better off _**not**_ knowing… how are things going?" Peter asks shifting to try and look around. His body protests violently and he groans.

With a strong but gentle hand, J'onn eases him back down. "If you want to have a chance of getting out of this bed _**on your own**_, it's best if you stay still." J'onn waits until he is satisfied that Peter will not move again before continuing. "Communication is back up and all of the copies have been accounted for. Unfortunately we are still uncovering just how extensive the damage was here; both to our systems and to the League members. Teleporters are still offline, but _**Hiro's**_ Power Girl has been helpful in getting back to operational. We've put in a call to the Qarian home world and Captain Atom, Aquaman, Star Girl and the… real… Power Girl are all on their way back here. Hopefully that will help offset our wounded."

"Any word from Batman?" Peter was thankful that things were coming back to normal, but he hadn't heard anyone mention anything about whether Diana had been found.

"Diana has been recovered and Batman has her recovering in his lair…" J'onn's voice has a hint of amusement in it that Peter picks up on. J'onn, probably better than anyone else, knows how deeply the two of them care for each other. And how despite both of their best efforts they continue to be drawn closer to each other.

"Good." Peter sighs, relaxing. So far all the news has been positive. "How are _**you **_doing…?"

"Your quick thinking helped to dissipate the chemical causing the burns. Although waking up in that foam was a little unnerving…" When J'onn returned to consciousness he didn't know what to make of his situation. Using his unique abilities he was able to free himself from the foam, but he was disturbed by the situation more than he'd ever let on.

Peter smiles at the Martian who surprises him by smiling back. "Hey, it worked right?"

J'onn smiles and nods; "Yes. I suppose so…" J'onn moves over to the containment unit where the most powerful hero on any planet is recuperating. "Others were not as fortunate…"

Peter picks up on J'onn's sober tone. "How bad is Supes?"

"The Kryptonite blade was designed to leave shards behind with each swipe. I have removed all of them, but the trauma combined with his blood loss, has him in a coma. It's part of the Kryptonian healing process, but we can't do anything but keep feeding him solar energy and wait…"

"They really took it to us, hunh?" Spiderman wonders what will happen to Hiro when the dust settles. He may have unwittingly had a hand in all this, but it was due in large part to his copies that the bad guys nearly won.

"And then some…" J'onn agrees. "But they didn't finish us."

**-Titan's HQ, Situation room-**

"… The last copy is packed up and being shipped out to the Himalayans…"

"Thank you, Cyborg." Robin nods to his teammate and takes a seat, picking up his tablet. He wanted to check on the other Titans not back yet. "Blue Beetle is still on loan to the Outsiders, making a sweep for any other tech similar to the duplicates, but Nightwing says he should be back with us soon. Wonder Girl, Kid Devil and Zatara are on their way back now."

"I would've loved to get my hands on some of that hardware… the design was incredible."

"Maybe Hiro will let you take a look… he is now an ally of ours is he not?" M'gann offers.

"Vic's _**cup size**_ is too small for Hiro to be interested in sharing anything with him…" Beast Boy snorts.

"I do not understand…"

"Of course you don't, _**Princess Oblivious**_…" Ravage mumbles under her breath irritated. This briefing had covered everything but what she was really interested in. "If we're going to stop every time Mary Martian gets lost we'll be here all night…"

"All right, take it easy Ravage…" The last eight hours have been exhausting and with the copies now returning to their creator, they could finally take a breath. "I know everyone is on edge given everything that has been going on, but there's no need to take it out on each other. We've got to stay in this together or we have no chance of surviving." Robin looks around the table and is pleased to see everyone, including Rose is nodding in agreement.

"Perhaps we should all get cleaned up and try to get some rest." Supergirl advises cautiously. She didn't like it when they argued amongst themselves.

"That's a great idea, Supergirl; we could all use a break right now." Robin agrees.

Most of the Titans stand to leave but Ravage approaches Robin. Robin looks up from the tablet he'd been looking at to see Rose Wilson in front of him. "No need to apologize Ravage, we're all pretty fried."

"I wasn't planning on it… has there been any word from the Watchtower yet?" Robin notes her posture with amusement. He would have never thought that Rose was capable of being concerned for anyone but her body language shows she is.

Or at least, _**one someone**_ in particular.

"Communication is back up and there are no casualties. Some injured, but everyone is expected to recover." Robin notes her still concerned look and can't help himself. "_**Spiderman**_ should recover fully as well."

"I assumed when you said _**everyone**_, he was included." Rose snarls trying to cover up her emotions. She knew Peter would be up there in the thick of things and from working alongside him before, she knew he could handle himself. But she still worried. "Don't be cute, Birdboy."

Robin laughs softly and stands. "I wouldn't dream of it…" He walks past her to leave. "I meant it though Rose, get some rack time while you can. This _**isn't**_ the end of all this…"

Rose nods, although Robin has already left the room. She stands in the center of the room thinking. She knows her father being here had to be connected with every thing else that has been going on. If a major heavy hitter was making a move on the Justice League he would want a front row seat. To her this meant that he had answers about what has been going on.

He never closed the door to her. In fact, though they parted ways, she got the feeling that if she sought him out, convinced him of her allegiance, she could learn something. There were a couple places she knew he left dead drops, getting a message to him wouldn't be hard.

It was risky, but if she could help bring an end to this whole conflict with the right piece of information, it would be worth it. "I don't like people creeping around me, Starfire." Rose doesn't turn around, but she could tell Starfire was in the room.

"I didn't mean to…" Starfire admits from the other side of the room. When she heard Ravage ask about the Watchtower she was interested in his answer as well. She had been trying to find a way to announce that she was in the room, but Ravage seemed deep in thought.

"Guess you were wondering what has been going on since you got K.O.'d, huh?" Ravage smirks turning to the still weak heroine.

Starfire puts her head down in shame. "I wish I could have helped…" She felt better, but the toxins Slade used on her seemed keyed specifically to do her the most damage. She was still weak.

Ravage is tempted to continue to dig at the woman, she can't help it. Starfire is not just a rival in her eyes, but she represents something Rose knew she could never be. Starfire was innocent.

Unlike Rose herself, the girl had never tried to do anything but be good. It was something of a sore spot with Ravage considering how hard she has had to work just for her teammates to stop reaching for their weapons when she walked in the room. Actually, a small part of her enjoyed the fact that she was considered to be so dangerous.

Still she has come to respect Starfire, even like her a little, so she swallows her insult. "If you were up to I know you would have been out there with us… don't beat yourself up over it."

"Thank you-"

"-That's _**my **_job."

Starfire smirks at Rose boldly. "You would not be saying that if I were 100%...!"

"You keep thinking that…" Ravage challenges looking the Tamaranean in the eye. The two continue to stare at one another, neither backing down.

"Yesssssssssssss…. Kiss her!"

Both women turn to see Beast Boy sitting on the table watching the exchange eagerly. He manages to make it from the room only getting slightly singed by Starfire's Star bolts.

**-Mount Olympus-**

"Why would you have created those pieces in the first place?"

"Mind your place daughter!" Hera cautions Athena harshly. "You do not question the will of your father!" Although Hera herself had her own concerns, she still felt it was her duty to defend Zeus. She knew of the items of war that Ares had collected, knew they had fantastic properties, but she hoped there was a reason her former lover imbued them with additional powers.

"Okay then mother; can the great Zeus tell us then why he allowed his _**conniving **_son to collect them together then?" Athena recognizes now that she had been manipulated by her brother. This was an especially painful blow, considering that she was the paragon of Wisdom. She should have seen this coming.

While it was true he merely played on doubts and fears she already had, she should have remained steadfast in her belief in her champion and instead, she wavered. In Diana's greatest hour of need, she wavered and in doing so lost the faith of one of her strongest supporters.

Meanwhile her brother's strength continues to grow.

"None of that matters now," Poseidon interjects, allowed back within the realm of Olympus for the first time in centuries. "The only question worth answering is what do we do now that Ares has these weapons in his possession?" He'd seen firsthand how devastating these weapons could be in the hand of a skilled warrior. Now in the hands of the very god of war himself, he found himself feeling an emotion he no longer thought possible; fear.

If Zeus heard any of their questions, he did not acknowledge them.

Likely it was because he had no answers to give.

He watched as Ares skillfully acquired each piece, manipulating matters to release their hidden abilities. And even when the head of Vandal Savage rolled to a stop against the foot of Lex Luthor, he felt nothing. He supposed it was because he never expected his son to be so resourceful; Ares had often been more of a club than a scalpel.

Let Athena do the thinking, let Apollo do the playing, all Ares ever seemed to desire was conflict. He thrived on it.

It was as it should have been; it was what he was created for. Now having seen the depths of his son's abilities, Zeus realizes how grossly he underestimated him.

The others continue to murmur amongst themselves until Zeus stands from his seat. All in attendance in the Great Hall finally fall silent and await his words.

"Ares may have gathered together the armaments to fell a god, but this doesn't mean we are in danger."

"Father-"

"Athena my child, I have allowed you latitude today because of my affection for you, but my affection _**has limits**_." Zeus states simply, staring at his child. It is enough to silence any further interruptions from her for the time being, so he continues. "While it is true that these weapons have the potential to harm us, what grievances does Ares have against any of us?" The question goes unanswered. "Ares has _**never **_wanted to rule, _**never **_desired my seat or the position of any of you assembled here. He has only ever wanted on thing; a war that would span the globe. And we do not concern ourselves with the actions of mortals."

Now the murmuring breaks out again in earnest and this time Hera speaks.

"Your lord has spoken, I suggest you all return to your responsibilities."

Some leave immediately, albeit begrudgingly, but Poseidon remains. "With all respect, Hera, you do not presume to command me as well, do you?"

"Not at all brother, I merely wished an audience _**alone**_ with my husband."

"I did not think that he still carried that title with you…"

"Perhaps all this talk of one of our first born has me feeling what the humans call _**nostalgia**_… at any rate… if you don't mind?" Hera waits patiently for Poseidon to turn to leave, but he does not go quietly.

"I would like an _**audience**_ with the great Zeus as well at some point soon." Poseidon let it be known that this was not a request but rather a statement of fact by the tone of his voice.

"Of course." Zeus assures. "It has been too long since you have walked these halls, I would not have you leave lest we could palaver." It is only then that Poseidon leaves the room. "Hera-"

"You know full well what _**grievance**_ Ares may have against Olympus, specifically _**you**_!" Hera whispers harshly once they are alone.

"Do not be absurd…" Zeus counters, walking away from his one time wife. "I did him a _**favor**_. Ares cares _**nothing**_ for the children he's fathered over the centuries."

"Apparently, _**neither do you**_!"

"Have care how you speak to me, _**wife**_, there are lines you'd best not cross…" Zeus warns without turning around.

Hera catches up to him and turns him around. "You denied your son the opportunity to raise his child-"

This time Zeus does not hold his rage in check. "_**His child**_? You seem to have forgotten just how he treated the children he's fathered before her! The cemeteries of earth a _**littered **_with their number! I protected her! If anything- _**I **_am Lyta's true father!"

**-Batcave-**

Batman would never admit it aloud, but his head was literally spinning after Harley Quinn's confession.

The pieces began to make sense; the reasons for all that's happened so far were organized chaos. He thought it was misdirection at first, just a simple case of keeping the Justice League occupied while various thefts were committed. Knowing the truth now meant that they were likely too late to stop what was bound to come next.

"Diana… what do you know about the sword of Peleus, the shield of Ajax, the hide of Nemean and the ring of Gyges?"

Diana stares at Bruce in wonder for a moment. "They… well they are the stuff of legends… why… would you ask about them…?" Diana tries unsuccessfully to hide her anxiety at his question. She knew full well that they were more than that.

Bruce takes a seat, removing his cowl to look Diana in the eye. "Diana…"

Diana sighs heavily and turns away. "We- the Amazons'- were once tasked with guarding them…"

Bruce leans in closer taking Diana's hand supportively. He could tell this was a touchy subject for her; talking about her people now that she had been effectively excommunicated.

Unlike before, she doesn't shrink back from the physical contact. "The story is that each of the items were superior weapons of warfare. The good, became great and great, became extraordinary. My people guarded them from the Assyrians, the Persians, and Greeks alike. Turning back each would-be conqueror empty handed… until-" Tears well up in Diana's eyes but she fights them back bravely. "Until the Romans came. They overwhelmed my people and were no where near as kind to them as the Greeks who came before. If one considers raping and pillaging everyone on the island as a kindness..."

Batman knew something of the Amazons' past, but he never imagined they'd gone through such a tragedy more than once. It made even more sense now why men were forbidden. He was thankful that Diana had not been around for either incident.

"Then came Ares," Diana snorts. "My mother told me that Ares descended like a white knight with his army. He forced the Romans to retreat, just like he had the Greeks before. But this time he wanted _**payment **_for his work. He wanted the pieces of warfare we guarded for himself and the return of his daughter, Lyta."

"Lyta?"

"One of his daughters… I believe Circe was the child's mother. She was put under Amazonian care and raised by my people. And… and I believe it was she who saved Savage from capture before. Of course, my mother refused and Zeus intervened on our behalf, before Ares rage was directed at the Amazons. He banned his son from the island, flung Lyta into the future and scattered the four pieces to remote areas of the world. This all took place centuries ago… None of us have spoken of it since…"

"Guess he realized that having them all together on the island just made sure your people would always be in danger…" Harley mentioned an "old man" and his daughter alongside Vandal Savage, it was reasonable in Batman's eyes that the old man could have very well been Ares himself and that the daughter was Lyta.

_**If this Lyta was working with Savage then the three of them would have the power and the resources to gather the items easily enough. Especially if the Justice League were busy scrambling around like a chicken with its head cut off… **_

Diana shrugs. "Athena forced her father's hand. She's always been his favorite, so when she pled on behalf of us, he went into action. He typically doesn't get involved in human affairs."

"Yet he had your people guard dangerous weapons…"

"Well… even if they were taken from us there were certain conditions that had to be met to unlock their true potential…"

Bruce perked up at this, Harley didn't mention anything about conditions. "Do you know-?"

"What the conditions were?" Diana finishes with a smile. "No. Lest we be tempted to use them ourselves." Diana finishes bitterly. With those weapons in hand they could have repelled any invaders much easier, perhaps avoiding the terrible events that have stained her people.

"So there's a possibility that the true nature of the items is still unrevealed to Ares…"

"I doubt it. He may not be on the level of a Lex Luthor or a Ra's Al Ghul, when it comes to schemes, but he's thorough. You can believe that he not only knows the conditions but that he met them at the same moment that he located the items…"

"If that's the case…" Batman sighs, standing. "What is his end game?"

**-Thessaly-**

"I'd forgotten how beautiful the country is…"

"I did not know you to be of the sentimental sort, father." Lyta comments smiling. They walk through the town arm and arm through the busy marketplace.

"It is simply fact, daughter, not sentiment that causes me to reflect… It has been some time since I have walked these streets…" In fact, the last time he did it was among the blood and bodies of an invading German and Italian army. He allowed the land to be occupied because he had become bored with the people of Greece. He found the Americas much more enticing.

"Of course," Lyta agrees nodding. The short time her father has been back in her life she has learned when to press and when not to. Instead she enjoys the crisp mountainous air laughing at the children playing in the streets. "Will we simply climb the mountain and-" Her question is cut off by the figure standing before them and a sliver of excitement ripples through her.

"Ares…"

"Hermes… how are you?"

Hermes nods grimly, noting that his brother has on all of the armaments that would make him an unstoppable foe. "Our father would like to see you…"

"Good. I would speak to father as well." Ares places his hand on Hermes shoulder and smiles. "Relax, little brother, you seem very ill at ease."

"You have all of us concerned, big brother." Hermes admits looking Ares in the eye. He has always been uncomfortable around his older sibling and now is no exception. Ares had a way of smiling at you the same way he imagined that a lion may smile at a lame gazelle. Right before he clamps his jaws on its throat.

"Yes. I can understand that…" Ares nods thoughtfully. "Have you met my daughter, Lyta?"

Hermes glances at the woman next to Ares and extends his hand. "It has been some time since I last- urk-"

Hermes feels an unfamiliar sensation in his chest and his vision blurs. He notes with confusion that the villagers in the busy marketplace are screaming and begin fleeing in all directions. He looks down at the source of his discomfort; a small dagger embedded in his chest.

Hermes looks back up at Ares.

"Amazing isn't it? The sword can become as small as a dagger if one just wills it to be so. Certainly a handy enchantment if one needs to be discreet… of course all discretion is lost once you pierce the skin of a god, messy business that…" Ares removes the blade

Sparks of electric blue fill the air around the two as Hermes falls to his knees. Ares squats in front of him.

"Brother?"

"You will not die, Hermes… but you will never again be what you were." Ares wipes the blade on Hermes' tunic and sheathes it. "Which is a shame, because this would be the most opportune moment for a witty piece of dialogue in which I inform you to tell my father something cryptic. I suppose, villainy is something I've yet to master…"

"Why?" Hermes asks short of breath, another new experience for him.

"Because the children of mud have more freedom than us, brother. They can choose what they will be and failing that, can choose what they will not be. While we, all we can ever be is what _**he made us to be**_… Don't you see? I plan on setting all of us free!"

_**A/N: Next up, war on the mountain!**_


	19. Blood letting, part one

**A/N: Read, review and enjoy!**

**-Mount Olympus, several centuries ago-**

"She is MY daughter!"

Zeus places his hands on the shoulder of his son, speaking in a soft but firm tone. "And this is what is best for her… _**and for you**_."

Ares shrugs free of his father's grip and begins to pace. He knew there would be repercussions for his actions on Themyscira, but he was unprepared for this. "If you are looking to punish me father, punish me only. Do not take your rage out on others." The statement was so uncharacteristic of the God of War, Zeus is momentarily taken aback.

His son is many things; intelligent, powerful, charismatic, but _**compassion **_was something until this moment he believed outside of his capability. In fact, in his position in the cosmic scope of things, compassion was more of a detriment to his role than anything else.

"Son, listen to yourself…" Zeus turns his first born back towards him. "This is not _**who you are**_… who you have ever been…" Zeus stares into his sons eyes looking for understanding and although he only finds anger, he is undaunted. "What I have done is not to punish you. Were you out of line in repelling the Romans from the island? Yes and there will be discipline coming for _**that**_ action. But this girl is a distraction that could continue to cause you to _**lapse **_into disobedience."

Ares smiles darkly. "And there is nothing worse, is there father?" Ares walks away briskly. As he leaves the throne room and enters the courtyard he finds his sister lounging by the fountain. He has no intention of talking to her, as she played a part in this whole affair as well. He walks right by her.

"It had to be done brother," Athena stands, calling after him. "You were not acting with the proper discernment, nor are you now." Athena solicited her father to intervene in the conflict, a conflict that Zeus had not even been paying attention to.

Ares whirls and grabs his sister by her arms harshly. "Do you _**never**_ tire of being the lap dog to him, sister? Do you think your _**sniveling**_ will one day earn you the fatherly affection you've longed for since we were children? I can end the suspense for you now, Athena; _**it will not**_."

Athena wavers a bit. "What is it you really wanted, Ares?" She asks softly. "You knew your plan to acquire Hephaestus' weapons would not succeed. Surely it could not have been about Lyta… she has been a ward of the Amazons since her birth… why the interest now?"

Ares releases his sister and sighs with both exhaustion and disappointment. "For someone who is supposed to embody wisdom itself you are _**amazingly **_stupid." Athena's mouth drops open comically and Ares laughs. "You never long for _**anything **_more, do you sister? You are content being the puppet of your makers…" Ares walks away angrily. "Well some of us are not satisfied with the status quo…"

**-Thessaly, now-**

Hermes lies gasping for breath on the ground and is overwhelmed by new sensations.

He doesn't remember ever needing to breathe before, now his lungs are starved for oxygen. He's never felt pain before, but now his body is alive with it. Even the cold cobblestone under him is a new feeling.

"Can you feel it, little brother?" Ares asks, looking up the mountain towards his objective.

"_**Feel**_? All I can do is _**feel**_-"

"Yes! Pain, anxiety, emotion! All things you were _**denied**_ up to this point!" Ares cries out passionately, squatting next to his brother. He watches Hermes eagerly. He wants him to understand and to know.

"I don't… think I was missing much… brother…" Hermes gasps, as he coughs up blood.

Ares shakes his head. "I didn't think you would understand… Lyta…?"

She instantly understands what he wants.

She walks over to Hermes, a man who until today she had only read about and places her hands on his chest. A warm glow envelops the two. Moments later, Hermes is sitting up in disbelief.

"Thank you… why do I still feel-?"

"Human?" Ares answers helps Hermes to his feet, who still stumbles a bit. "Because that is what you are now. What you will always be, until you breathe your last… enjoy your gift, brother…"

Ares and Lyta walk away from a shocked former messenger who now has to figure out how to live as a mortal.

"Gift? Do you plan on giving this gift to yourself?"

"What next, father?" Lyta asks from her father's side. She notices that Ares does not break his stride or turn to Hermes to answer. It is as if he means nothing to him now. She can't help but wonder if that is the fate of all of them once this is done.

"Next," Ares stops in the middle of the street and turns back to his daughter. When he began this quest, he knew how things would end, but he didn't anticipate what he was now feeling. "Next you head back to America."

"No! I wish to be with you when you climb the mountain… when you face them!" The months, nearly years they spent planning this they had always spoken of bringing the gods low together. Now he was changing the plans.

"You will, that will come later." Ares smiles in anticipation. "First I will have to contend with the weapon maker and his army. That battle will not be one I want you in attendance for." Ares notes the protest ready to issue from his daughter and silences her with a hand. "First you will give the heroes something to focus on. Then I need you to deliver the item to our… _**silent partner… **_but make sure that he remains in the shadows…"

Lyta knows what her father is talking about, but she still is hesitant. "He will not like that… perhaps we need not hold up our end of the bargain at all. Considering that we have what we were after..."

"I believe in keeping my word… and the part that he will play in bringing about our justice is invaluable."

"Of course…" Lyta removes a small mother box from her pocket, thumb poised over the activation button. "Visiting the clown is not something I enjoy. Perhaps we could use another…"

Ares turns back to his daughter and the closest approximation to love crosses his face. "We are almost finished daughter, soon the time will come when we can cut all ties with the bottom feeders and rise out of the mire… but for now… for now he is exactly what is needed."

**-Watchtower, infirmary-**

Peter feels like he's spent enough time here.

His ribs are still a bit tender, but breathing in and out is no longer a chore. He waited until he was sure J'onn was gone before slipping out of bed and locating his gear. After putting on his pants and placing the cloth mask that he wears under his cowl on, he reaches for his shirt to cover his slightly scarred torso.

"I didn't know those came in packs of eight…"

Peter quickly pulls down his shirt to find Power Girl standing in front of him. He had hoped to leave the Tower without being seen and return to the surface. "Hey PG, I thought you'd be back at Hiro's by now…" The look of both confusion and anger on Power Girl's face fills in the blanks for Peter. "You're the… uh… _**real**_ Power Girl…" He knew that Power Girl, the real one, was on her way back, he just didn't expect to see her.

Power Girl's expression softens and she walks over to Spiderman. "Yes I am." She runs her hands over the tight upper torso of Peter Wayne. "Accept _**no**_ substitutes." She drops her hands to his rib cage. "You're Spiderman, right? I hear you pretty much saved the day..."

"Uh…not really…well… you see…" The woman unnerved him, though he wasn't sure why. He'd been around the Hiro Power Girl for the better part of twenty-four hours. Then again, the copy really didn't do justice to the original. There is something about the woman in front of him that Hiro's copy couldn't touch.

"You're modest; that's cute." Power Girl looks up at the young man and Peter realizes that if she has x-ray vision like her cousin she could be looking at his face. "How are the ribs?"

"Um… fine… I uh… recover pretty quick…" Peter answers nervously, gently removing the woman's hands from his body. He wasn't sure how the men of the Justice League kept their mind on saving the world with distractions like these.

"Is that a fact?" Power Girl smiles saucily, making it obvious she likes what she sees. "I wonder just how quick…"

"Are you attempting to add _**heart attack**_ to my patients' list of ailments, Kara?"

Power Girl's eyes never leave Peter's as she answers the Martian. "Not at all J'onn. I came here to check on my cousin, but I couldn't leave without conveying my gratitude to our _**comrade**_." Grasping the back his head firmly, she pulls Peter into a deep kiss. It's the sort of kiss that is not in the neighborhood of _**friendly**_. "Hmm… not bad." She remarks once the kiss is broken. "With practice you could be something _**spectacular**_… Spiderman."

"Uh… thanks?" Peter stammers not sure of what to say.

"You're welcome. J'onn, take care of this one, he's a keeper." Placing one last kiss, a more innocent one on his cheek, she walks deeper into the room towards Superman's recovery unit. Peter watches her walk away still in shock.

"You can begin breathing again…"

"Who says Martians can't be funny?" Peter quips, glancing in Power Girl's direction. He finds it incredible that his team mate, Super Girl and the woman who just took his breath away are essentially the same person. They couldn't be more different, in his opinion.

"Where _**were**_ you headed?" J'onn challenges. He didn't doubt that Peter was recovered enough to leave, but he did want him to get more rest.

"I've got to get out of here, J'onn." Peter announces grabbing his cowl and the top half of his uniform, tucking both under his arm. "There are other guys worse off than me." Flash was still recovering and so was Atom. Not to mention the aforementioned cousin just thirty feet away.

"While that may be true, I don't think-"

"I appreciate the concern. But I can do more to help on the ground than I can here. And since the teleporters are back online, I should check in with Batman." Word got around to him about Wonder Woman being recovered; the details about her condition were spotty. He also wanted to find out if Joker had actually survived meeting up with his mentor. The way Batman looked when he took off from Hiro's, Peter had his doubts.

J'onn nods. "And the Titans as well, I imagine."

Peter nods. He has no idea how they fared in all this. "Yes. A lot has happened in the last twenty four hours-"

"So I hear." Captain Atom announces from the door. "J'onn, I'm glad I found you. Do you still have that cleansing ray Batman developed the last time Superman was exposed to red Kryptonite?"

"Yes. Why-? Ah… that explains Kara's behavior…"

Atom nods. "The Qarian's developed a way to put the rocks to use and were planning on coming here to take over our oceans… guess they figured on taking out the _**big guns**_ first."

"So they were never in any danger in the first place?"

"Nope, they were just hoping to lure big blue to their planet and use the red Kryptonite to put him out of commission. They got Power Girl instead… of course their weapon was not as effective as they'd hoped." When Power Girl was first hit with the ray instead of weakening her like they hoped, it sent her into a rage; causing her to lash out at anyone in her sight. The unchecked anger of the Kryptonian was enough most of the Quarian capital city to rubble. When the rage subsided it was replaced by a hyper sexuality that none of those with her were able to squelch. Now back on earth the effects had lessened dramatically, but were still affecting her.

"We should have seen that coming…" J'onn looks at Peter. "You need not be concerned Spiderman, Kara is simply still fighting the lingering effects of the Kryptonite… her libido and inhibitions are in flux."

"Because a hot blonde couldn't _**possibly**_ want _**me **_without being under the influence; right…?"

Atom and J'onn share a look, before Atom quips. "I'll let you field that one J'onn…"

**-Batcave Infirmary-**

Diana awakens with a start, but she manages not to scream.

Checking her surroundings she's thankful to see, not a dirty backroom or a stained mattress, but the same bed she fell asleep in. She allows herself to relax and forces her heart to stop trying to claw through her chest.

Diana would never admit it out loud, but Joker had nearly broken her. Her faith has been thoroughly shaken, especially now that she is certain that Ares has been directly involved in everything from the beginning. For none of the so-called_** gods**_ to intervene, she has to imagine that they either do not care or approve.

Neither of those options fills her with much happiness.

Looking around the room she notes with amusement that her protector is fast asleep in a chair facing the bed.

Gone are the deep lines of concentration that normally crossed his face and a peaceful look of serenity was in its place. All at once she was struck, not for the first time, by how devastatingly handsome the man under the mask was. His thick black hair, framed a sharp strong jaw and aquiline nose put him made him both masculine and beautiful at the same time. She often thought, at least the rare moments that she saw him like this, that he belonged in movies more than he belonged in back alley ways.

Perhaps had his parents not died the way they had she would be watching him kiss leading ladies instead of forcing criminals to kiss pavement.

He was so still and the moment itself seemed so surreal, she was overtaken by a strong desire to reach out and touch his face. Just to ensure that he was truly there.

"Shouldn't you be getting some more rest?"

Batman doesn't bother to open his eyes, but the telltale smirk that crosses his face lets Diana know the man is not muttering in his sleep.

"I feel I may lapse into a coma if I spend any more time in bed…" Diana admits stretching, enjoying the feel of her muscles loosen.

She felt much more like herself. The weakness had passed as had the soreness. The toxin once invading her system had finally faded. She didn't have a mirror, but her face felt less swollen than before, so she assumed she was healed.

"Besides, Bruce," Diana swings her feet off the side of the bed, testing the strength of her legs. Satisfied they will support her, she stands. "You look like you need more rest than I do."

Batman stands from his chair, running a weary hand through his hair. After securing the needed information from Harley Quinn, he had Nightwing come and take the two back to Arkham. Dick, being his usual annoying self, berated his former mentor for waiting so long to call him. Not just because of the risk Batman took with the Joker's life, but for not letting him know how Diana was doing. Now that Dick was a full fledged member of the League he had become close to the Amazon.

Between fighting with, then alongside Talia, securing Diana's medical health, interrogation and arguing with his former protégé he hadn't gotten much sleep. Normally this would not be such a hardship, but these were not usual circumstances.

"I'll be-" Batman's gruff tone cuts short for a moment, but he recovers. "Fine, Diana." He turns away to busy himself with a medical readout, but the damage is done. Diana, never shy about her body, didn't seem to realize she was only clad in Dinah's mesh shirt. It was the only article of clothing that came close to fitting her in the mansion. Playboy or not, he never kept any clothes from his conquests; he preferred all traces of them to be gone before the sun rose.

Now he had the very epitome of beauty and grace standing before him, stretching in a shirt that fell well short of covering her frame. The Canary may have a similar build but Dinah was much shorter, meaning the shirt covered much less on Diana.

Walking up behind Batman she looks over his shoulder at the computer screen. "So, doctor, am I cleared for release?" Her breath by his ear affects him in a way he wasn't prepared for. The lack of rest and the stress of the situation left him in a much more vulnerable position than he was used to. His defenses were not as sharp as they normally are.

Without turning around, Bruce shakes his head. "There is still some toxicity in your blood, it could burn off on its own but I can't be sure." He moves ever so slightly to the left, so that her body is no longer pressed against his back. If she notices the change is his demeanor she doesn't show it.

Diana groans. "Do you baby Dick and Tim this much?"

He wonders; had he been treating Diana differently than he would have any other wounded colleague? He couldn't be sure. "If you promise to take it easy, I see no reason you would have to stay… _**here**_…"

Diana nods. "I can promise to _**try**_… Do you have anything… suitable for me to wear?" This time Bruce looks at her, taking in her form. Her curves are something remarkable; tapered waist leads to a pert backside and down the longest set of legs he'd ever seen. He's been with the most stunning supermodels the world has to offer and they all pale in comparison.

"I can send Alfred out to get you something…" Bruce breaks his gaze away from her before she catches him staring.

"I think you keep coming up with reasons to keep me here…" Diana smirks, leaning against the bed, then, realizing how that might have looked stands up quickly and clears her throat. "At least, I would if… I uh… If I didn't know you better."

"But you _**do**_ know me better, right?" This conversation was heading in a dangerous direction and he felt he needed to change that quickly.

"Bruce, the more I learn about you, the _**less**_ I feel I know…" Diana answers honestly.

Bruce laughs softly. It's a strange sound to hear coming from him and because it's so unexpected she stares at him confused. "Alfred would say that in itself shows just _**how well**_ you do know me…"

"That's a very scary thought." Diana admits stretching her arms above her head.

"I'm a scary guy…"

**-Base of Mount Olympus-**

"Ares, son of Zeus, God of War! You are hereby commanded to relinquish the items in your possession and surrender to Zeus immediately!"

"Hephaestus!" Ares calls out from his position in the valley. "You are not an army commander, you are a _**glorified blacksmith**_! If you swear fealty to me, I will allow you to retain your rank and station under my leadership!" Just as Ares had expected, Zeus sent out the crippled weapon maker to do his dirty work. His father was nothing if not consistent. Hermes was always sent first, then failing that Hephaestus. Which meant there was only one way this could end.

Hephaestus laughs from his position on the slope. "If I am not an army commander-" He taps the hilt of his hammer on the mountainside three times causing thunder to clap in the distance. "Then why do I have an army of thousands, ready to rip you to pieces?"

In a flash, thousands of soldiers appear; some on horseback others on foot. They are a mix of Greek, Roman and Spartan warriors. They likely represent the greatest to ever set foot on the field of battle. Allegiances no longer matter as they stand shoulder to shoulder without regard to king or country.

Anyone else might regard the sheer numbers with fear or at least trepidation, Ares however only feels the strong pang of excitement. "When I cleave through this dross, your corpse will join theirs in grassy hillside!"

"We'll see little one!" Hephaestus challenges, raising his arm. "Archers! Loose!" The sky darkens with the shade of innumerable arrows which arch straight towards Ares. He calmly raises his shield and the arrows carom harmlessly off the surface.

While under the cover of the Shield he hears the thunder of hoof beats coming towards him and smiles. Hephaestus created the shield, so he would know better than anyone that the arrows would have no effect, the air strike was simply a diversion to cover the advance of the horse back soldiers.

As a tactician himself, Ares had to admit the ploy was sound, but in his case ineffective. The ring doesn't just grant its user incredible speed, but it also slows down those in the vicinity as well. Slipping between two riders, he swings his sword in a low arc, cutting the saddles from underneath them. When they fall to the ground the other horses rear up on their hind legs to avoid trampling them. It creates a pocket for Ares to take on combatants one at a time.

With each swing of his sword another body hits the ground. "See how careless-" Another body drops. "-_**your **_king is-" three more fall. "-with the mortals he claims to care for?" The soldiers begin dismounting in droves to advance on Ares. "He has plucked these men from their respective times in history to fight his battle, without a care to how their deaths will ripple throughout their timelines! Is this a God you wish to serve, Hephaestus?"

Hephaestus orders the ground troops to join the assault while commanding the archers to reload. "And serving under your reign would be more benign? You created this situation, once you decided to usurp your king!"

"Usurp? King? What makes give him _**the right of rule**_?" Ares questions Hephaestus, while shattering the shield and swords of several warriors with the blade of his sword. "Zeus is the father of countless bastards throughout history, an adulterer and a coward. In a drunken rage, he once decimated an entire indigenous race! Should we not expect more from one who is to command us?"

"Form urk!" The officers' command is cut short by the blade of Ares sword. With each kill he can feel the power of the blade grow, fueling him. It is an intoxicating feeling. The fact that Hephaestus is trying to overwhelm him with numbers shows Zeus did not let his faithful forger in on the extra blessings he put upon his creations.

Covered in the blood of fallen warriors Ares is giddy. For so long he has held his rage in check. In the past, Ares has tempered it by masterminding conflicts behind the scenes, in an attempt to satisfy the lust boiling within his heart. He was unleashed now.

Let the heavens tremble.

"If you are so concerned for the fate of these men's timelines, why do you cleave through them with such abandon?"

"Because, Hephaestus, I am exactly what I was made to be; _**war made flesh**_. Conflict, given form." Ares answers pulling the blade free of a dead Spartan. "But I do aspire to be more…"

**-Mount Olympus, throne room-**

"He has not slowed husband…"

"I have eyes, Hera." Zeus remarks sternly, not taking his eyes from the viewing pool. He was sure that the numbers would overtake his son, that someone would be able to relieve him of one or more of the stolen armaments. The longer they were in his possession the less likely it became that he could be stopped.

Hera walks away from Zeus. "You told us he had no desire to unseat you, yet here he is at our doorstep." Hera begins pacing, thinking. "We must go and try to reason with him ourselves."

"It will do no good…" Zeus turns from the slaughter taking place below him and faces his former wife. "Of all our children, Ares has ever been the most stubborn. Once he has something in his mind…"

"Why can you not simply remove the enchantments you placed on the weapons?" Athena asks angrily. She would have never thought her brother was capable of something like this. He had been calculating and efficient in his approach. He manipulated her, manipulated earth's heroes and avoided detection completely. By the time anyone realized what he was up to, there was no chance to stop him.

"I cannot simply undo a decree of mine!" Zeus bellows slamming his fists on the edge of the viewing pool. Several cracks develop under the blow. There were rules, rules that they knew nothing about. Protections in place that he could not violate. So there were times when he could not act, even if he wanted to. But he couldn't explain that to them, they would never understand the why of it. He was never sure he understood it either.

"Then send me to him, father."

Zeus turns to face his son Heracles. Of all the children that he'd fathered out of wedlock, he was most proud of him. He embodied the greatest qualities of mortal and immortal alike. "That would not be wise."

"You know that the human troops will only fuel his anger. Perhaps I can calm his rage or at least relieve him of the tools he's using. Is it not worth a try?" Heracles pleads with Zeus as he has before. It seemed that he spent a great deal of his time begging his father to take action. More often than not it seemed that he was either unable or unwilling to.

**-Arkham Asylum, emergency room-**

"Why the heck are the docs even trying to save this piece of trash anyway?"

Edwin Taylor has worked as a guard at Arkham Asylum for the last six years. It's a remarkable feat considering the amount of break-ins and riots that take place here.

The man who trained him, Carter Jones, left on a medical discharge after Two-Face blew out the north wall five years ago. His next shift partner James Williams lost part of a leg and an arm during a failed Penguin escape attempt. As far as Edwin knew, James lived in Topeka, far away from Arkham or its inmates. After he left, Taylor was partnered with Steve Thompson. That relationship lasted about three months. Thompson transferred out after Poison Ivy drugged him and he killed two inmates under the influence.

Needless to say, it took a certain sort of man to stay here.

"Can't rightly say I know, Ed…" Maurice, Edwin's latest partner, responds watching the doctors' working to stabilize the Joker. "Guess if they let him die, a big piece of the funding might disappear… shrinks come from miles around for the chance to study this waste."

"And I thought I was cynical…" Edwin laughs, checking his weapon for the third time. "You'll do fine here, Rook. Just keep your eyes open and your finger at the ready."

Inside the room two doctors attempt to live up to their oath, despite their feelings about the man strapped onto the bed. The burns were the least of their problems. He had been exposed to infection which had endangered his life more than the fact most of his body was covered in burnt flesh. In the cases of burn victims who had suffered this sort of trauma it was always the infection that got them.

"He's stable, but I don't know if he'll ever-" Sharon Foley's words are cut short by a blinding flash. She and Trent Richards hit the floor instinctively. They've worked here long enough to know that if anything out of the ordinary happens, their best hope for survival is to lay low.

"You are fortunate that my father still has some use for you clown…" Lyta is loathe to touch the man, so she uses the mother box to heal the Joker's wounds. While the Apokoliptian technology does its work the two guards sound the alarm and rush into the room.

"Okay pretty lady, hands in the air and back away from the Joker!" Edwin doesn't dare glance at Maurice; he just hopes his green partner has his back.

"Normally I would not be caught within a hundred feet of this trash…" Lyta admits, looking up from her task.

"Hey… I'm dyin' here…!" Joker sputters weakly. His vision is still blurry, but he can make out the woman who first approached him all those months ago. She promised him much and so far has delievered.

"But for now, he serves a purpose." Lyta understood in theory what her father saw in the man strapped to the bed in front of her, but in practice she was against it. When the time came to tie up this loose end, she would savor it.

"I don't care if he's your spiritual advisor, you don't back away I fill you full of holes!"

Lyta notes the conviction in the man's voice and smiles. "You are diligent in your duties, so I will not allow you or your partner to come to harm. But I cannot allow you to interfere either." She points the mother box at the men and before they can react they are teleported from the wing.

"Now that's the stuff!" Joker yells springing from his bed, completely healed. "What's next on the agenda toots?"

"What you do best, clown; chaos…" Lyta hands Joker a detonator which controls explosives she set up all around the Asylum the last time she was here. "Unleash the rest of your kind and descend like the plague you are on Gotham."

"I'm all for chaos… but what will you be doing while we have all this fun?" Joker questions taking note of the device. He was a fan of fireworks.

"Best keep focused on the things that concern you Joker… your usefulness is based solely on your single-mindedness…"

**-Slope of Mount Olympus-**

All around him the bodies of the men he's slain begin disappearing. Ares looks up to see the same thing happening to those he's yet to kill and realizes what's happening. "Looks like your king has realized the folly of attacking me in this way!" The sword in his hand is practically throbbing with power at this point. Even Ares isn't sure he'll be able to control it much longer.

The legend stated that after enough battles, the sword had to be retired before it completely corrupted the user. Ares, being made of sterner stuff than any mortal man, thought he would be able to resist it. So far that logic was holding true.

A crack of thunder is followed by a lightning strike several feet away from him. When the light subsides a man appears kneeling in its place.

Donned in the armor of Achilles and holding the sword, Harpe in his hand is Heracles.

Ares smirks at the sight. "Does Perseus know you have his sword? Nevermind he's dead…"

"As you shall be if you do not cease this madness, Ares." Heracles steps towards Ares slowly. Ares doesn't wait for Heracles to make a move; he raises the sword over his head and attacks.

Heracles is just barely able to deflect the attack, stunned by Ares speed, and counters with a wide slash designed to create space between them. His sword meets with Ares' shield and Heracles nearly loses his grip on the hilt.

"Zounds! What deviltry is this?"

"Didn't our father warn you? These weapons, in the hands of one such as I, are devastating!" The blade in his hands seems to be literally screaming to spill more blood. And although Ares has never had any animosity towards his half-brother, he is equally eager.

Because of who he is, Heracles is able to parry the attacks of Ares, but with each swing of his sword, Ares gets closer and closer to penetrating his defense. Desperate, Heracles picks up a clump of earth and hurls it in the face of Ares. Caught off guard momentarily, Ares instinctively raises the shield up and brings it down on the shoulder of Heracles. The blow does the trick and both men stagger back away from each other.

"What do you hope to accomplish here?" The pain in Heracles shoulder is enough to nearly drive him to his knees but he remains on guard. If he had not been wearing Achilles' armor Ares would have likely separated his arm from his body. It was becoming clear to him why Zeus and the others seemed to be so worried. "You cannot possibly believe you could slay the gods of Olympus!"

At first Ares was looking forward to battling Heracles, he always wondered how the demi-god would fare against him. But now he realizes there is another way to his goal. Sheathing his sword he raises his hands in surrender. "I would like an audience with my father, to discuss what I am here to _**accomplish**_."

"Don't be a fool, Ares! Zeus will not-"

"I am not speaking to you!" Ares shouts venomously and Heracles takes a careful step backward. Raising his head to the skies he cries out: "Well, _**father**_, what say you?"

**-Apokolips-**

"Lord Darkseid, how much longer must we wait?"

"Desaad, I would ask you refrain from asking _**that**_ question." Darkseid turns from his view of his planet to face his twisted advisor. "In fact, it would be wise for you not to speak at all."

Desaad, fearing his master's rage leaves the throne room in a hurry.

Since he was approached by Ares, everything has come to pass as it was promised to him. Now, though, in the hour of Ares' triumph he has yet to hear from his so-called partner. His patience has worn thin.

Ares offered him the secret of the Anti-Life equation, indicating that his people had long discovered it and kept it protected. Initially, the dark king did not believe him. Darkseid has dealt with tricksters before and Ares' promises had the look of being more of the same. It wasn't until Ares was able to show Darkseid that the Greek Gods had been to the Source wall centuries ago and studied it that he began to believe in what he offered.

Then an alliance was struck.

Darkseid provided Ares with mother box technology and the resources left behind from Darkseid's short-lived partnership with Brainiac. Although he didn't want to give up the technology from the Kryptonian construct, once he obtained the Anti-Life equation then technology would be unnecessary.

His control over the universe would start with Earth. He would take the strongest of its women as his own as his personal thralls while slaying most of the annoying League of Justice. Then, he would do the same to New Genesis.

At last, he would bring order to the universe under his rule.

The thunderous boom of one of his transport tubes opening behind him doesn't startle him in the least. It is, in fact the most welcome sound he's ever heard.

"I've returned, Darkseid."

"As I knew you would, my dear." The lord of Apokolips turns to face the daughter of Ares with a rare smile. "Is that for me?"

Lyta looks down at her hands; she is holding the key that her father gave her. It seems like such a harmless item, but she and Darkseid both know the truth. "Yes."

"Well?" Darkseid questions holding out his hand.

Lyta steps forward and places the key in the weathered palm of Darkseid. This was the part of her father's plan that she disagreed with the most. But he assured her that this was also necessary. It seemed that in order for them to accomplish the impossible, they had made some strange alliances."We only ask that you wait twenty four earth hours before going to retrieve it…"

Darkseid, clasps his hands over Lyta's firmly. "Why?"

"We have shown ourselves to be a trustworthy ally, have we not?" Lyta asks, waiting for Darkseid to release her hand. Once he does, she continues. "Then this small favor should be nothing for the great Darkseid to grant."

"I have given much in this alliance already-"

"And you have much to gain, do you not?" Lyta argues, beginning to anger. "Much more in fact, than you have, as you say, already given." She knew that Darkseid had grand plans for the Anti-Life equation, plans that would result in untold deaths, but she was trusting in her father covering all the angles.

The eyes of Darkseid glow red with the Omega beam energy that he commands. "Careful how you tread little one, my arrangement is with Ares, not you."

"Then please, Mighty Darkseid, in the spirit of that agreement...?" Lyta activates the boom tube and turns away from Darkseid. "Respect our counsel on this and wait to claim your prize just a little while longer…" She steps through the tube and she is gone.

"My lord and master, she treats you with such disrespect…" Granny Goodness emerges from the shadows to approach her master. "Please allow my Furies to teach her a lesson."

"In time, we will right all the wrongs done and balance the scales once more." Darkseid assures. He would kill Ares at first chance, but not before making him watch as killed and raped the so called gods of Olympus. He knew their secret, their true origin and that would make unraveling them that much sweeter. "Let them believe the advantage is theirs for now…"

"They have managed to kill Vandal Savage, a feat no one else has ever come close to doing… who's to say-"

"Finish that sentence at your own peril, Kalibak…" His son seemed to be getting bolder as of late. Something that both filled Darkseid with both pride and rage.

"Risking your wrath father, I must speak… The weapons that Ares has acquired, through our help no less, may prove a match even for you. I-"

Kalibak is unable to finish his thought because in an instant the Omega Beams of his father reduce him to a pile of ash. Granny is not the least bit startled by this; the fact is that Darkseid has slain his son before, only to restore him to life later. "Prepare the Furies for battle Granny. The moment the location of the equation is discovered I would have them ready."

"Of course," Granny leaves taking a wide path around the pile that once was Kalibak.

**-Titans Tower-**

"… so we're pretty much wrapped up now. Just waiting to hear back from Nightwing's group."

Peter nods, taking a sip of Cyborg's special coffee. "Cool. I was worried-"

"Good to have you back, Spiderman."

"Good to be back, Robin." Peter turns to the Titans' leader smiling. Even though neither of them were wearing their masks, Robin was a stickler for rules. "Not gonna drop that _**codename at all times in the Tower**_ rule, huh?"

"Considering the amount of uninvited guests we have randomly drop in? Nope." Robin walks over to Peter and shakes his hand. "Things back to normal up there?" Robin asks referring to the Watchtower.

"As normal as it gets… I guess…" Peter answers, thinking back to his encounter with Power Girl. "I was on my way to the upper levels to say high to the team-"

"Without your mask?" Robin asks amused.

Peter gave it some thought. Rose, Kory and M'gann have all seen him without it and the fact was he trusted the rest of the Titans. Robin may have to hide his identity to protect Batman's, but he didn't think he needed to do the same. No one here knew his last name and he stayed out of the papers. "At least three members of the Titans have seen me without my mask on and most know my first name… I think the time for masks for me around here are at an end…"

Cyborg and Robin share an uneasy look with one another, before Victor Stone speaks up: "After the duplicate fiasco, we decided to… well we had… The Manhunter he-"

"He wiped the memories of you from the Titans' minds." Robin finishes bluntly.

"You couldn't have come up with any other way to-"

"I know him Victor; he respects direct and honest dealings…"

"What's _**direct and honest**_ about tampering with people's minds!?" Peter can't believe what he's hearing. He'd become friends with the people here, one could say closer than friends with a few of them and now he was gone from their minds? "So nobody up there knows who I am? What if I had decided to teleport down to the front door? What then?"

"The Watchtower only has the coordinates for Cyborg's lab in its memory banks. And even if you knew the exact coordinates to the "front door" it will only transport to pre-programmed locations entered by either Batman or J'onn themselves." Robin announces. "And they know_**who**_ you are, they simply don't know what you look like or your first name… listen… no one told you to go around revealing your secret identity anyway. Given our work-"

Spiderman lifts him from the floor in one swift motion. Cyborg quickly grabs Peter's arm to stop anything else from happening but he can't disrupt his grip on Robin. "If this is the way you do your work, then you can count me out of it!" Peter shoves Robin backward hard into a chair.

"If you can't see the danger of having everyone know who you are," Robin stands adjusting his uniform. "Then we would not want you with us anyway." Robin knows that Peter means well, but sooner or later someone was going to put it together that he is the latest teen hero to appear just months after being taking in by Bruce Wayne. The subterfuge of playboy billionaire was only as successful as the people around him. "When you joined us you did so with the understanding that we did things a certain way. If you can't hack it, you can always go back to where you came from!"

"Robin!"

"No it's okay, Cyborg. He's right. I don't belong here…" Spiderman walks past his mask and picks it up. He considers putting it on, but instead tosses it to Robin. "Probably never did…" Before Peter can make his way from the room the communications array inside his suit goes off.

_**Spiderman, report to Arkham Asylum immediately.**_

Peter puts on the mask so that he can respond to the order. "No can do, boss, I just quit."

_**Not an option. Every lunatic in Arkham has just been set loose! **_

Spiderman looks at Robin, who overheard the announcement from Batman. They both have a look of complete dread on their faces.

"Truce?" Robin asks grimly.

"What do you think?" Peter snorts securing his cowl in place. "J'onn we need a multiple person transport. From Titan HQ to whatever location you have programmed in for Gotham city…"

_**A/N: Next up, Gotham city is under siege!**_


	20. Blood letting part two

_**A/N: Ugh… finally right? What is wrong with this lazy writer? Read, review and enjoy!**_

**-Gotham City, Jewelers row-**

"I'm curious… the second you get free you think it's smart to try and rob a jewelry store?" Batgirl doesn't really expect an answer; she's just talking to calm her nerves. For the last forty minutes she's been kicking and punching her way through every small time hood to ever be put into the Asylum.

A roundhouse kick sends the man flying through the window of the store he was just attempting to rob. "I understand times are tough… I mean finding a job nowadays is harder than climbing Mount Everest barefoot… but, _**if I were you **_I'd have gotten as far away from Gotham as I could. In all the confusion you might have been able to get as far as Metropolis!" She steps into the store, checking his pulse. Sure that he's unconscious she picks him up and carries him back to the street.

The streets are littered with small fires and various looters. Some hardened criminals, others citizens who view the chaos as an opportunity. So far she's been only concerned with getting the escapees rounded up, but eventually she knows she'll need to turn her attention to the others.

After cuffing him to a nearby street lamp, she takes another look around. Her presence on the street has caused some of the more timid law breakers to return home. Still there are those who know she's only one woman. Eventually, someone will get wise and try to take her out from a distance.

_**Batgirl, sit-rep!**_

Barbara Gordon sighs before speaking: "I'm in the jewelry district downtown… quite a bit of civilian activity down here; I could use a hand with crowd control."

_**Already have someone en route, Batman out.**_

"…What's that you say? No, no, I'm a little fatigued and irritated, but really, _**I'm fine**_ Batman, thank you soooo much for asking!" Barbara grumbles under her breath before turning back to the streets. She turns just in time to avoid the crow bar bearing down on her head. She side steps the attack, quietly cursing herself for being distracted.

Her anger causes her to strike the man harder than she intended. He collapses to the ground with a broken jaw for his trouble. Activating her cowl tech, she runs his face through the facial recognition database, but, just as she feared, he was just a local. No ties to Arkham at all.

"Nice job, girl, you'd think he was Two-Face and not some greedy nine to fiver…" She doesn't bother to cuff him; she just drags him into a nearby store to keep him off the street. Once things were back under control, Gotham PD was supposed to round up all the handcuffed criminals, right now though they were pretty busy dealing with Clayface across town.

"Where the hell is that back up I was promised…?" Just as she finishes her statement, she sees several fires simultaneously disperse down the street from her. A rush of air and a yellow and red streak let her know just who her back up is.

"Hey Red,"

"Kid Flash…" She notes with astonishment that all the fires have been put out. "Nice trick."

Bart cocks his head to the side triumphantly, smiling. "Nothing like a little localized vacuum to restore a bit of order to the chaos…"

Bart was putting on a brave front, but she could tell he was shaken. Most of the costumed brigade stayed far away from Gotham. Not just because of Batman either. Gotham was the dark corner of the world no one liked to talk about.

It was the breeding ground of the worst sort of men, truly the lowest common denominator. Unlike more civilized criminals, they didn't care about world domination or hatching some scheme to trap their arch enemy; they were in it for the blood.

The only way to reason with them was to _**beat**_ reasoning into them. Working here as a hero, required the sort of steely resolve that most people couldn't muster.

"It's pretty bad, huh?" Bart asks trying to keep his voice from breaking.

"It ain't good, that's for sure…" Barbara moves toward him, scanning the rooftops above them. She thought that she saw movement somewhere but it could just be her own nerves. "But we'll get through this." She smiles at him reassuringly and Bart smiles back. Her father often told her a smile had more power than a gun. Right now she was thankful for her old man's unyielding optimism.

"What do you need me to do?" Bart asks, this time his voice a bit calmer. He thought he prepared himself for this when Robin sent him to back up Batgirl. But he supposed there really was no way to prepare for what he had seen just in the few minutes he was here. He'd never seen people behave so savagely.

Gunfire erupts from above them peppering the walls around them.

"Right now, take cover!" Batgirl yells at Bart grabbing him and pulling him into an alley. Apparently she had in fact seen something above them.

"Where'd-?"

"Building across the street, with the yellow awning, do you see it?" There were no lights in the building, but there was some obvious movement.

Bart follows her gaze and nods. "Yeah?"

"Fourth floor window, sniper using a modified M24…" Batgirl switching her cowl to infrared careful leans out from their hiding place to take another look. "I got four heat signatures and the gunman makes five. I can't make it there before being cut down, but-"

"I can!" Bart turns to run, but Barbara stops him.

"In and out, don't take any unnecessary risks!"

**-Gotham City mental hospital-**

"It doesn't make a bit of sense…"

Spiderman agrees with her, but unlike Ravage, he understands better than most the way the mind of Gotham's criminals work. "I guarantee you, they're here."

Ravage shrugs and joins him on the edge of the roof. "It's your town…"

Spiderman feels a tiny swell of anger bubble up in him at her response. Gone is the girl who he'd been developing real feelings for and in her place is a team mate; nothing more. He could see the logic of Robin's concerns, but he didn't agree with his course of action. If he couldn't trust the Titans with his identity, then who could he trust?

"So we'll split up," It was a smart move, but it also a selfish one. Peter couldn't stand to be around her anymore, not while she was like this. "They're likely holding them in the back office…" Spiderman pulls out his phone and accesses the schematics of the building across from them. "Which is here."

Ravage leans closer to him to look over his shoulder. "You're sending me in the back way while you have all the _**fun**_ up front? Don't know if I like that…" She asks pointing to a rear entrance.

"Ahem… well… I wouldn't exactly call it _**fun…**_" He wishes he hadn't chosen her to partner with on this. He suspected Robin _**allowed**_ him to choose Rose, just to drive home how complete the memory wipe was. "I'll hit them head on and draw them away from the hostages, so you can get them out of there. There's likely to be some resistance at the back, so wait until you're sure they've left to deal with me."

"Whatever you say, candy pants."

Before Spiderman could respond, Rose has already leapt off the building. "Hmph… maybe there is some hope…"

He didn't have time to think about that right now though.

Since breaking out of Arkham, most of the inmates had resorted to simple looting and other smaller crimes, but there were a few who had other ideas.

Some went underground, attempting to re-establish their power bases in secret, those few were being tracked by Batman, Robin and Nightwing. Some, either because they had schemes in the works beforehand or they were bored, enacted more elaborate crimes.

Case in point; the Riddler.

Having been left off the initial breakout plan using duplicates, he, in Peter's opinion, was overcompensating. Nigma took Vicki Vale and her entire camera crew hostage so that they could film his so-called _**declaration of intent**_. She had been covering an auction at a downtown art gallery, when he burst in with a load of armed men.

Part one of his declaration was a challenge issued to Batman, in the form of a riddle:

_**When I am visible to you, you cannot see me, but when I am invisible, you long to see me. I am plenty with someone patient, but all the more scarce with a hasty one. I am greater than all, but still in the control of those who value my existence?**_

As far as riddles go, it was one of the more pedestrian. The answer was _**patience**_, but knowing Nigma the way he did, Peter surmised that it could have a double meaning. Edward Nigma spent a great deal of the last few years in an insane asylum, a place he never felt he belonged in the first place.

Arkham was a place for _**criminally insane**_ _**patients**_; in front of him now is a well known facility for the mentally disturbed. It fit with the clue; When Nigma was _**visible**_, or when he was _**incarcerated**_, no one could see him. When he escaped the police and Batman longed to find him. When he teamed with those of like minds his schemes were elaborate and met with some success. When he teamed with others his success was limited.

He considers himself the greatest mind among all humans. He also believes his intelligence was always at the mercy of those who desired to be as smart as he was. Some might consider Peter's reasoning a bit of a stretch, but that was the way Nigma worked.

With all the subtlety of a trunk full of C-4, Spiderman kicks in the front door and encounters two armed thugs. Both men are wearing green t-shirts with a large question mark in the center. "Tell me fellas; just for fun, do you ever wear shirts with a comma on it? Just to piss off the boss man?"

One of the men raises his semi-automatic rifle eagerly, visions of bragging rights dancing in his head. Spiderman shoulder tackles him to the floor, causing him to spray the ceiling above them. "Hmm… sights must be off on that thing… lemme adjust it for you…" Spiderman grabs the barrel of the gun and with a twist snaps it free. In the same motion he throws the metal at the slower thug, catching him square in the throat.

He drops his weapon and sinks to his knees gasping. Spiderman finishes him off with a hard left and turns back towards the other man. Lifting him from the floor easily, Spiderman holds him up. "How many of you are there?"

"More than enough for you, bug boy!"

"So… a lot then… got it!" Spiderman slams him into the wall hard, knocking him out. After webbing the two of them together, he moves from the entry way to the main lobby. The room is completely dark, but Spiderman can sense that the room is empty.

_**Was this just a decoy site? Is Riddler somewhere else…?**_

"I didn't expect _**you**_ here… did your _**boss**_ solve my riddle for you?"

_**He's using the intercom system, which would put him on the main nurses' station, two floors up… unless he re-routed it somewhere else…**_

"If you give up now, maybe I can get you a little something extra for your cell… a toilet seat maybe? No request is too extravagant!" Spiderman stands still allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. The circuitry is his cowl had been shorted out in his fight with Deathstroke and he hasn't been able to replace or repair it yet. So if there are any traps waiting here for him, he'll have to rely solely on his spider sense to warn him.

_**Riddler normally sets up elaborate traps for his victims… crap… did I walk into the trap myself? My spider sense hasn't sent off any warnings since I took out the two leg breakers up front, so I should be good…**_

"The _**boy blunder**_ also used levity to cover up his innate cowardice; it's a tactic without much originality…" Nigma attempts to sound confident, but he definitely took offense at Spiderman's jab.

"Neither is a psychopath taking a tabloid news reporter hostage, but you don't see _**me**_ pointing fingers do you?" Spiderman walks carefully through the room, looking for any sign of a trap.

_**Gotta keep him talking; force him to send some of his crew this way…**_

"I'm giving her a unique opportunity!" Riddler shouts, obviously enraged by Spiderman's comment. "She will rise above the normal drivel she's forced to serve to the public and have the chance at an interview with greatness!"

"Greatness? Wait…Do you guys have Morgan Freeman with you? Do you think you could get him to lend his pipes to my voice mail? _**"Get busy leaving a message or get busy hanging up…"**_ something like that?"

An audible click tells Spiderman that Riddler was through talking to him and the scream of his spider sense let him know that the reinforcements had arrived.

_**Whatever you did worked, handsome, looks like the three goons Riddler left at the back entrance are heading inside…**_

"Take it slow, Ravage…" Spiderman warns in a whisper, while he checks his web shooters. "Riddler loves nothing more than to catch someone in a trap…"

_**So sweet for you to worry, but if you keep it up, Beast Boy will start talking… can't have that, can we?**_

The room Spiderman is in is suddenly flooded with light, disorienting him. He'd been straining so hard to see, that the now illuminated room left him blind.

"Five Grand says I squish this bug first!"

Still unable to see clearly, Spiderman evades the metal pipe of his attacker and grabs his arm. "Not when you waste time bragging about it you won't!" Twisting the man's wrist to force him to drop his weapon, he finishes him off with a kick that sends him flailing back into one of the others.

_**Need to get some space until my vision comes back…**_

Leaping backwards Spiderman sticks to the wall and fires a salvo of web bullets. Like the rubber bullets used in prison riots they're designed to hurt a lot, without causing any permanent damage. Spiderman sprays the area in front of him wildly to keep the men at bay.

"Let's rush him boys! He can't aim for sh-!"

"Even if I couldn't see or hear you, that ridiculous cologne would give you away!" Spiderman is able to see somewhat clearly again, with the exception of a few spots. Dropping from his position, he takes note of the men in front of him. "And you guys let him leave the hideout wearing Drakkar? No honor amongst thieves I guess…"

_**Eight thugs with blunt weapons… hardly much of a threat… the two guys up front were armed with semi's though… stands to reason some bright boy will get wise and break out the harder stuff… better not drag this out…**_

Spiderman grabs the attacker closest to him and drives an elbow hard into the spot just between his eyes. While he staggers backward, Spiderman shoves him into another man holding a piece of heavy chain.

"Mikey you friggin' idiot!" The chain wielder throws "Mikey" to the floor giving him a kick in the ribs for his trouble. He turns his attention back to Spiderman who is mid swing. The man reacts quickly, but not fast enough to avoid the blow completely. It connects with his nose and he drops to one knee next to his friend.

"How are you looking Ravage?" Spiderman asks evading the bat swings of two men, while kicking another in the shin.

_**I'm just as beautiful as I was the last time you asked me… Vale and her crew, not so much, but I've got them out of the building… for all the good it'll do… no sign of Riddler… want me to see if I can find him?**_

_**She's got a point… the streets are still not particularly safe… the Titans are out there on damage control, but Joker really put us in it this time…**_

_**No… get those people safe. I'll wrap up here and go get him.**_

**-Arkham Asylum, ninety-six minutes ago-**

"Okay clown, I don't know how you got free or how you're not burnt toast anymore and I don't care! I want your hands in the air-"

"Can I _**wave'em like I just don't care**_?" Joker asks keeping his hands from view. The device Lyta gave him clutched tightly in his grip. He hadn't had much chance to really examine it yet, but he knew enough to figure that he could select which explosives to set off first. Which is what brought him to the Wardens' office to begin with.

Joker knew that the Warden would never expect him to come here once he left the infirmary. He sent most of his guards to the exits to ensure Joker wouldn't escape. But the clown had no plans on leaving just yet.

"Video feed shows some chick paid him a visit and healed him Warden…" Curt didn't know why he wasn't given the order to fire already. He figured it'd be easier to just put the dog down and save the city whatever grief he had planned. "Warden…?"

Warden Quincy Sharp had been around Arkham long enough to know that Joker wouldn't have come here if he didn't have a reason. And when it came to the Joker, the less you knew, the worse things were likely to be. "What do you want Joker?" He'd seen the feed just like his guard Curt Givens had. But unlike Curt, he wasn't concerned with Joker's miraculous recovery as much as he was with whatever she had given him.

"Lots of things toots… for now though… I'll settle for… this!" Pressing the device firmly sets off an explosion right behind the Warden and his guard. The back wall implodes knocking both men to the floor hard.

Joker nonchalantly brushes some debris from his hospital gown as he stands over them. "This place is a mess Warden! Seriously, you should fire the maid, she-" Joker sees movement out of the corner of his eye and looks down to see Curt struggling to reach his weapon. "Sigh… really?" Joker kicks the man hard in the face, knocking him out.

Confident he will no longer be disturbed he studies the on-screen display of the device. Once he finds the set of explosives he wants to set off first he smiles whimsically.

"This little piggy went to the market…"

An explosion echoes from the east wing, general population, and alarms blare throughout the facility.

"This little piggy stayed home…"

Another explosion erupts in the guard mess hall; Joker hopes it's full of security guards.

"This… hmmm… this little piggy ate _**roast beef**_…"

Joker steps over the rubble to get beyond the wall he destroyed in the Warden's office. The Warden kept all the high tech weaponry that was confiscated from the criminals of Gotham in a vault behind his desk. A vault that now stood wide open.

Grabbing his trademark suit from a hanger in the room he begins to get dressed, taking his time. He listens as various announcements over the intercom indicate just how chaotic things are in the facility. Unable to help himself he begins humming cheerfully as he imagines the carnage below him.

"Much better…" Joker remarks as he buttons the jacket of his suit, checking his image in the cracked wall mirror. "Now… let's see… where was I…? Oh yes… this little piggy had none…"

The area designated for special criminals, like Mister Freeze, Clayface and others suffers an explosion of its own in the control room. The alarms gain a different tone, signaling that things are beyond containment.

Moving the unconscious form of the Warden to the side, Joker sits in the tatters of his chair and props his feet up on the desk. Some of the monitors in the office still function, so he can see prisoners fighting with guards while some others try to escape.

With a nasty smirk, Joker picks up the device from the desk and scrolls through the commands to the final set of explosives.

"And this little piggy went…"

The North Wall is reduced to ash.

"Wee…"

The West Wall follows suit.

"Wee…"

Gone is the East Wall.

"Wee… all the way home…"

With the South wall gone, and the guard towers on each falling slowly to the ground, a sea of bodies scrambles over the rubble like locusts. "It's the simple things in life that yield the most pleasure…" Joker sighs, watching with interest on another monitor as Harley Quinn, cautiously peaks out of her now open cell. "Come on home to daddy, sugar…"

**-Bat Cave, seventy-four minutes ago-**

"Please thank Alfred for the clothes…" Diana is pleased with Alfred's selection of clothes; a simple pair of Capri pants and a burgundy cashmere sweater. Obviously he was aware of the chill in the Bat cave, even if its primary resident wasn't.

"I will…I- that's odd…"

"What?" Diana walks over to Batman, who is seated at the console of his massive computer. She notes he is looking at an overhead display of Gotham City.

"Arkham… is offline…" Batman stands quickly, grabbing his cape and cowl and donning them just as fast.

Diana looks back at the screen curiously. "What do you mean _**offline**_?" 

Batman ignores her question and types in a few commands. The screen display changes to show Arkham's communication and power grid both show in an inactive state.

"Maybe the monitoring equipment you have in place has failed…" Diana states without much conviction. She doesn't want to feel the trepidation that creeps its way into her heart, but she can't help it. If Joker really was getting help from Ares and Lyta, then it would stand to reason they'd make sure he stayed valuable to them. He wouldn't have much value in an infirmary.

"He knows better than that, Wonder Woman, as do you…"

Batman whirls angrily to face the Spectre, the same being who showed up unannounced months ago when he first brought Peter into his life. "You knew about this… you know what all of this is really about… how much longer do you plan to stand by while innocent people get hurt?"

The Spectre's normally impassive face shows a glimmer of irritation, but it fades when he responds. "We all serve the roles we _**must **_in this life, Batman. Instead of questioning mine, your time might be better spent _**fulfilling**_ yours…"

Batman ignores the truth of his words and instead begins trying to connect with Arkham remotely. With no success the chilling reality sets in.

The best case scenario is a single criminal and his cohorts may have escaped. That means that Arkham will have things back online before any others can slip through the cracks. The worst case is, _**every single inmate**_ imprisoned there could be running the streets in the less than fifteen minutes. Bane used this tactic to wear him down and it nearly killed him. But then he didn't have the resources he has now."Diana, I need you back on the Tower…"

"You want me to leave now?" Diana asks angrily, looking at Spectre as he hovers. "If he can help, perhaps we could-"

"No." Batman states flatly. "It would be a waste of time to even try." Pressing a button on the console he speaks into his cowl. "Nightwing, are you still at Arkham?"

_**…No... I'm back in Bludhaven… why?**_

"Round up your Outsiders and anyone else with street level experience you can think of and head to Gotham…"

_**That does not sound good…**_

"That's because it isn't. Radio me when you get here, use the Tower's teleporters to head straight to the center of the city."

_**I'm not authorized to-**_

"Wonder Woman will be up there to clear it with J'onn…" Batman looks at Wonder Woman and she reluctantly nods. He thought it likely she knew he was keeping her out of harm's way, but at least this way he could pretend that he needed her on the Tower.

And she could pretend that she wasn't eager to be there.

"Tower this is Batman, please transport Wonder Woman from zone 56 to the Tower control room." Batman holds out Wonder Woman's communicator and she places it in her ear. "I'll need you to coordinate things from up there. The teleporters have a limited use count before they reset to recharge. While you're there, see if you can find out anything about Ares' next move. For him to kill Vandal Savage he must be close to his endgame. Artemis is up there, maybe she could help."

"Be careful…" The words leave her mouth before she can stop them. Ordinarily she would feel foolish for saying something like that to Batman, but the smile that crosses his mouth makes it worth it.

In a flash she's gone, leaving just Spectre and Batman in the cave. Batman makes a few more calls to Robin, the Titan's and Batgirl. As he punches in the codes to connect with Peter. After bringing him up to speed, he looks back at Spectre and asks the question he knows he'll get no answer to: "Why is he here?"

This time, it is the Spectre who smiles. "To save us all, Batman... Why else?"

**-Gotham City mental hospital-**

_**This is ridiculous!**_

Riddler seemed to have an unlimited supply of henchmen, by his count, Spiderman has incapacitated at least thirty and they still keep coming. Fatigue is beginning to set in and he hasn't been able to get in contact with Ravage since last speaking to her.

"Aargh!" As another man falls to the ground, Spiderman looks at him wide-eyed.

_**No…! No! I pulled my punch he shouldn't…**_

Spiderman drops to his knees and checks for a pulse and finds none.

"Tsk, tsk, Spiderman… What would Batman say? I doubt he would approve… didn't he warn you about your lack of control?"

Spiderman looks back up to see a sight that chills his blood even more than the prospect of accidently killing a man.

"Slade?" It's not Deathstroke who unnerves him; it's who's with him. 

"In the flesh…" Slade Wilson holds Ravage in a tight grip, serrated blade pressed to her throat. "I think you know my daughter…" It was odd to see Slade without his trademark mask on, because he looked more like a grandfather, than a ruthless assassin.

"I'm not your daughter!" Ravage yells, attempting to twist free of his grip. She's unable to gain any leverage though, since her arm is pinned behind her.

"Oh my dear, that hurts my feelings. Really it does." Slade jokes tightening his grip.

Spiderman knew he was too far away to risk any sudden movements. He could never close the gap before he slit her throat. If that was his intent. The fact that he hadn't killed her yet, gave him a glimmer of hope.

"Okay, Slade…" Spiderman stands slowly, raising his hands over his head just as slowly. "You win… what do you want?" Looking around, Spiderman notes that the wave of hired thugs has stopped.

"I want you to know…" Slade answers, kissing his daughter on the cheek as she continues to try and resist. "That you're destined to let _**everyone you care about die**_." Without another word, Slade draws the blade roughly across Ravage's throat and the arterial spray manages to reach Spiderman from his spot across the room.

When it hits his mask, he's assaulted by the horror of what just happened. He also can't shake the feeling of déjà vu. As if he'd seen a similar scene play out before. Rose's lifeless body drops unceremoniously to the floor and the pool of blood that collects around her, leaves him with no hope. He knows enough about anatomy to recognize that there was nothing he could do for her.

Except, avenge her.

He pounces on Slade Wilson with a ferocity that would reduce any other man to paste. Deathstroke of course manages to sidestep the attacks, but he doesn't counter. Spiderman keeps up the pace, becoming more and more enraged as his target easily evades each swing.

"Don't you see? You're no hero… you're just a stupid kid in way over his head. She put her trust, _**her life**_ in your hands and you failed her… just like you've failed everyone else." Slade's words sting Peter deeply, playing on his own insecurities. He glances down at the pool of blood under the body of Rose Wilson. "If it's any consolation, she's not the first you've failed but _**she could be**_ the last… if you let me help you." Slade switches his blade from his left to his right hand and moves to attack Spiderman.

Spiderman halfheartedly dodges his attacks, running primarily on auto-pilot at this point. The rage he felt at the start, slowly melting into despair.

"Think of it this way boy…" Slade nearly embeds the knife in Spiderman's midsection, but he flips out of reach. "It's not as if you can really make a difference by living. I mean, if anything you've made things worse since Batman found you that night… Think of all the horrible things that happened since you came into the picture. Poor Wonder Woman, the injured Justice Leaguers, and even little Rose here… Who knows who else will suffer as long as you continue to draw breath?"

_**Is he right? Have I done nothing but make things worse for everyone…?**_

Even as Spiderman asks himself that question, he looks again at the fallen form of Rose.

_**Maybe he is right. But there's no way I'm going to let him get away with killing Rose… No way!**_

Redoubling his efforts, some of Spiderman's blows begin to land, driving Deathstroke back. Despite how fast or hard he swings, no matter how many blows land, Deathstroke continues to smile. Tackling him, Spiderman straddles Slade and begins choking him.

"Stop. Laughing. At. Me!" Spiderman releases his grip and begins pounding the man's face until it becomes a purple and black bruise. Deathstroke does in fact stop smiling; in fact he's no longer breathing.

Panting heavily, Spiderman rolls off of the now lifeless body.

_**I… killed him… I… he deserved to die! If anyone ever deserved to die it's him! He killed his own daughter! I can't believe-**_

He's startled by the soft clapping behind him.

"Bravo! We always knew you had it in you, Peter…"

Spiderman whirls and finds several menacing faces he's never seen before, but they feel familiar all the same. One is a behemoth of scales, green skin and glowing eyes of hate. Next to him stands a bald man who looks like Lex Luthor on steroids and HGH. Beside them stands two other men; one engulfed in flame and the other with sparks of electricity all around him. But it's the one who spoke that Spiderman keeps looking at.

"Who are you?" Spiderman asks fearfully. The figure is wearing a costume similar to the one he himself is wearing. Black with large white eyes and a white spider across the chest, standing next to the others, he seems almost puny by comparison. But he has a presence that belies his slight frame.

"I'll give you a hint…" He answers, the gravelly voice taking on a joking quality that seems out of place. The costume slides away from the figures' face and reveals a face Spiderman is all-too familiar with. There's no question who Peter is looking at. While it's true that he is slightly less muscular than him, Peter is staring into a mirror.

"No…"

"Oh yes…" The copy counters gesturing to the other men with him. "We're here on a mission of mercy… we're going to put you out of our misery!"

The monsters advance on him and Spiderman readies himself for the attack. He's unprepared for the sting to the back of his neck.

"Ahhh!" Peter drops to his knees and instinctively reaches back. Before he can figure out why his spider sense failed to warn him, a hand grabs his to stop him.

"Let it take affect- whoa!"

Peter grabs the hand and tosses the figure over his shoulder. The person twists midair to land gracefully. "It's a good thing cats always land on their feet… coulda warned me the kid is stronger than he looks…"

"And spoil the surprise?" Peter's hearts leaps into his throat as he hears the voice. He turns to see Ravage holding out her hand. "Come on, stud, on your feet."

**-Roof, Mental Hospital-**

"Scarecrow…" Peter mutters in disbelief.

"Yup." After the serum ran the toxin out of his system, Ravage and Catwoman brought him up to speed.

Riddler had partnered with Crane to set an elaborate trap for Batman. They captured Vale, her camera crew and the woman she was interviewing, Selina Kyle. Once Ravage freed them, Selina filled her on what she'd overheard about Riddler's real plan. They planned to expose Batman to a new and improved version of the fear toxin and kill him.

Once Nigma realized that Spiderman and not Batman had solved the riddle, he left. He didn't figure the fledgling hero was worth the effort and didn't want to risk being caught. But Crane; ever curious was intrigued to see the effects his new toxin would have. While Spiderman fought creations of his own mind, Crane watched and waited for him to slip up. To say or do anything that could help him solve a riddle he'd never been able to deduce.

Who Batman really was.

Using a high tech jammer, he kept Spiderman from being able to contact anyone from the outside or from anyone reaching him. Crane wanted Spiderman to be completely immersed in the fantasy.

After donning her Catwoman gear, Ravage and Selina quietly reentered the hospital. They destroyed the jammer, used the air filtration system to disperse the gas and subdued Crane. Once they secured him they waited for their opportunity to hit Spiderman with the antidote Crane carried.

"The room was flooded with the gas before you ever stepped into it." Catwoman continues. "You were hallucinating almost from the start." She could scarcely believe the ferocity at which he fought. Whatever he was seeing had been disturbing enough for him to fully cut loose. The craters in the floor, walls and the broken furniture were a testament to that. Bruce Wayne would likely be making an anonymous donation to repair the damage.

Spiderman nods, still trying to shake off the images his fevered brain had concocted. He knew the toxin played on your deepest fears, his being failing the people he cared about, but there were still some things that made no sense to him. Like the group of men he saw at the end of his fever dream. They could have simply been the conjuring of his overtaxed mind, which would be why they felt familiar, but he would bet his life they were real people. People he met in his life at some point.

"I've been exposed to his toxins before… the effects were not like this…" Batman synthesized a version for use in training and Peter had been able to fight it off then. But this was completely different.

"Crane made some friends while he was inside…" Catwoman announces, staring out onto the street below. "Apparently, Ivy cares less about the environment than she does about money." Reading his body language, she can tell the hero is disappointed in himself. "Hey, chin up there Spiderman… Crane has gotten the better of your boss before too…"

"Some consolation…" Spiderman mutters bitterly. "Thanks just the same though…" He stands from his position and squares his shoulders. "Ravage and I still have a lot of work to do… but if you want to help out some more…"

Selina looks at the two heroes and smiles. The similarities between the two of them and her and Batman were uncanny. And although she had made peace with the fact that Bruce had cut her from his life, she couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia when looking at the two of them. "Why not? Could be good for some laughs…"

_**Spiderman? Why were you offline for the last twenty minutes?**_

_**Twenty minutes? It felt longer than that…**_

"It was unavoidable," Spiderman stops to answer while Ravage mouths the name Batman to a confused Catwoman. "We have Scarecrow in custody along with a sample of his latest fear toxin-"

_**Riddler?**_

"In the wind… for now…"

_**… Understood… got a lead on some activity at First Independent… check it out.**_

"We're on it." Spiderman is not surprised at all when the line abruptly disconnects. Some took Batman's demeanor for cold, even unfeeling; the truth was he was simply about efficiency. He didn't believe in using five words when one would do. "Okay gang… we're headed to a bank…"

"Think I'll be able to make a _**withdrawal**_?" Catwoman asks with a smile. When she notices Spiderman doesn't seem to think her joke funny she smirks. "I guess you bat disciples only come in one flavor, huh?"

"Well… you do have a reputation you know…" Catwoman shrugs and Spiderman decides that if she really wanted to rob a bank, there would be better times to do it than now. "Let's hit it then…"

"Uh… I don't have webs or a fancy whip to swing from building to building… what am I supposed to do? Run?" Ravage asks with her arms folded. They had teleported down from the Tower earlier, but the teleporters had been taxed well beyond their limits tonight, so that wasn't an option. Plus Spiderman wasn't so sure the League would appreciate a known criminal like Selina aboard their space station.

"I'll carry you…" Spiderman offers without thinking.

"Sweet!" Ravage claps her hands giddily. "I love piggy-back rides!" She situates herself on his back and once he's sure she's secure he looks over at Catwoman who is struggling not to laugh.

"Something funny…?"

"Oh yes…" Catwoman teases, pulling out her cat o' nine tails. "Ready?"

The three of them jump from the rooftop, back into the thick of things.

**-Downtown, Gotham city-**

"Great. Just freaking outstanding!"

"…language…"

"Shut up and hold still!" Batgirl doesn't mean to snap at the young hero but tonight has been that sort of night. Turns out that the sniper Batgirl sent Bart after was prepared for the speedster. Several well placed traps lead to her having to drag him wounded and bleeding from the building under a hail of gunfire. "Aren't you supposed to be a fast healer?"

"Lost… too much… blood…" Bart sputters coughing harshly.

"Don't speak…" Batgirl, instantly sorry she was so hard on him, continues bandaging up his wounds. She had taken cover in the lobby of an apartment building, but she knew eventually Deadshot would either catch up to them or get away.

Neither was a viable option.

"Come on, Bat-broad! If you come out now, I'll make it quick!" Deadshot yells from the street.

Batgirl doesn't respond, instead she checks her work on Bart. Most of the bleeding had stopped but he had already suffered a great deal of blood loss. At some point the hero had passed out. "Looks like you're on your own, Gordon…" Batgirl sighs. As she takes inventory of herself her mood gets worse. At some point she sprained an ankle, took a grazing shot to both the arm and upper thigh and is down to her last two batarangs and one smoke pellet. "Dad is gonna be soooo pissed off if I die tonight…"

"Stand down, Deadshot."

"Wilson? What the hell are you doing here?" Barbara's blood runs cold at Deadshot's question. Dealing with the escaped inmates of Arkham was bad enough without adding him into the mix.

"Don't make me repeat myself." Slade answers flatly. Even the most hardened criminals of Gotham had a healthy fear of Deathstroke. They all knew that at any moment someone with the right amount of money could turn the assassin on them. "Dent didn't hire you and your men to take shots at vigilante tail."

"How many chances do you get to take out a batbrat?" Deadshot argues, while Batgirl pulls Bart carefully into the rental office. She realizes her best chance of saving Bart is to draw them away, not that she's in any real condition to get far.

"Do what you've been hired to do-" Batgirl hears the telltale sound of a sword being unsheathed. "While you're able to still do it." The silence that follows tells Barbara that Deadshot has no further argument, and she dares a peak out of the window. Deathstroke is looking in her direction. "This is a one-time pass girl… take it."

Grabbing her second to last batarang she tosses it from a window at Deathstroke. Her aim is perfect, if Deathstroke doesn't move his head slightly to the left at the last moment it would have caught him right in his good eye.

"Your rejection of my offer is noted." Wilson crosses the street and approaches a large truck. Opening the back, Barbara's night goes from bad to worse with an inhuman snarl.

**-High above, at that moment-**

"… are you okay…?"

"Fine." By the time they got to the bank, Starfire and Beast Boy had managed to corral the perpetrators. With that Catwoman took her cue to exit, mentioning that with all the heroes around, someone was likely to arrest her and Spiderman reported back to Batman.

"Then why are you swinging us into that skyscraper?" In one smooth motion, Peter snags the adjacent building and they are out of harms way. But Ravager can tell that something is preoccupying her partner. "That's a nice recovery, but something is still bothering you. What did… what did you see before…?"

Peter doesn't answer, instead he breaks right and drops onto the rooftop of a library. After easing Ravager off his shoulders he takes a perch on the edge.

"Okay… I get that the whole _**"brooding while watching over the city"**_ thing is pretty much a prerequisite for working in Gotham, but can we pause from the standard operating procedure and just clear the air?"

Peter chuckles dryly. "Clear the air…?" This time he laughs louder, causing Rose to take a cautious step back. She had no idea if there were lingering effects to the toxin after the antidote was given. Neither did Crane, she was hoping this wasn't the answer. "Where should we start… hmmm… okay I guess we could go with the whole crime fighter with amnesia angle, but that's pretty cliché…"

"Or you could stop deflecting and talk to me about what happened back at the hospital."

This time Peter turns to face Ravage, and upon seeing the genuine concern on her face he smiles. "Thought you were supposed to be this super tough as nails chick who'd cut out a guy's eyes one at a time if he was staring too long?"

"Well that certainly would make you an even more ridiculous cliché… as the _**blind**_ crime fighter with amnesia…"

"Funny…"

The two stare at each other for a beat and Peter breaks away first shaking his head angrily. "I lost control…"

"It happens-"

"It can't happen!" Peter yells turning from her. "Batman wouldn't have lost it, Nightwing either. Even Birdbrain would have kept his cool… But I-"

"Have been at this less than a year." Rose counters turning him back around. "You don't think those guys made mistakes in the beginning? You don't think they do now?"

"I-"

"If you keep beating yourself up like this, Spidey, I will never cook for you again!"

"What?" Peter is caught off guard by her comment. So much so he forgets what he's even mad about. "What did you say?"

"You think I prepare meals for just anyone? Robin still thinks I only know how to cook cereal!"

"You remember cooking for me?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

Peter explains what Robin told him earlier and when he finishes; her reaction isn't at all what he expects.

"You're an idiot."

"Huh?"

"Do you really think that Robin would just wipe our memories like some sci-fi villain?"

"Then why-?"

Ravage shrugs, leaning against the rooftop ledge. "Who knows? Everything he says or does has like fifty different motivations behind it… probably why Deathstroke tried so hard to recruit him; the two of them love to chess with peoples' lives…"

But then it dawns on Peter why Robin would have said it and why Cyborg went along with it. The whole time he thought that Rose didn't remember their time together, he had been treating her more like a colleague and that was exactly what Robin wanted. He didn't want Peter getting too close to her, because Titan or not, Robin still had his doubts about her. If there was the slightest chance his relationship with Rose could compromise Bruce, or any of the others, Robin had to consider it a threat.

"I should've known…" Peter muses with a smirk.

A loud roar echoes from below them cause both of them to jump. "The hell-?"

"C'mon!" Peter beckons, already squatting on the edge of the roof. He knew exactly what that sound meant and who it came from.

**-Watchtower control room-**

"Should you not return with me to Themyscira, Diana? I think your mother would be happy to know you are well."

"I cannot leave now Artemis." Diana answers sternly, manning a display overlay of Gotham. "Raven, I need you and Kid Devil to head to the lower east side, reports of the Mad Hatter in the area… Besides the teleporters will be down at least another forty minutes and we need to keep them available for emergency evacuations…" Although she wasn't used to commanding things from the sidelines, she was quickly developing a feel for it. She couldn't help but wonder if that was a good thing or not.

"Then we take one of their craft… you really should return home, your mother-"

"Can wait!" Diana is not in the mood for one of Artemis' talks about her responsibility. As far as Diana was concerned, once her mother decided to ban her from the island, any responsibility she may have had ended. "Don't you see what's going on right now?"

Artemis folds her arms in contempt. "The same thing that always goes on in the world of men; chaos and violence. If there were ever a more compelling reason to leave them to their own devices, I'm looking at it."

Diana whirls towards her former mentor and friend in anger, but before she can act, Green Lantern enters the room. "Diana!"

Diana notices the desperation on his face and fears the worst. "Is it- did something happen to Batman?"

"No… Several Boom Tubes have opened up on Earth-"

"In Gotham?"

"No, in Themyscira!"

_**A/N: I promise you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter! But things really go bad on the island!**_


	21. Something's got to give

_**A/N: Appreciate all the love people! Keep reading and reviewing!**_

**Gotham city, Jewelers row-**

"No wonder tourism in Gotham is in the toilet! Who wants to visit a place where you got eight foot lizards walking around?"

Ravage's joke aside, she and Spiderman nearly arrived too late.

The roar led them to a mostly abandoned street to find Croc poised to take a bite out of Batgirl. The only thing that saved her was her final smoke pellet finding its way into his mouth. Still, she was already badly hurt when, in a rage he tossed her aside and into a nearby fire hydrant. She lay on the ground, motionless.

"Check on her!" Spiderman commands charging the flailing criminal. He heard a crack as Batgirl slumped to the ground and he prayed it was nothing serious. He throttles Croc backwards with a series of punches, taking advantage of his temporary blindness. Ravage, already at the side of Batgirl, checks the heroes' pulse.

"She's breathing, but I can't tell if anythings' broke!" Ravage yells back at Spiderman.

"Kid Flash… he's inside… lost a lot of blood… check on him…" Batgirl warns, struggling to sit up.

"No offense, Red. But you're not in great shape yourself." Ravage could see that the freckle faced woman was paler than usual and her breathing was shallow and irregular. She couldn't imagine that Bart was in worse shape than she was. "Besides, Kid heals fast, remember? You on the other hand…" Rose looks at her warily. "Can you stand?"

Barbara wants to be angry and offended by the question, until she tries to move and her body turns into a one hundred-twenty pound raw nerve. "Arrgh…!"

"Okay, that answers that…" Ravage turns back to Spiderman, to see if he needs help with the lizard man. After noting he has Croc completely occupied she depresses the communicator on her wrist. "Can anyone tell me if Watchtower is able to transport again?" One thing she could say about the Justice League was when a crisis hit, they were ready for it. Batman had teams scrambling to Gotham the second the power went offline. And for the most part things were quieting down.

"Negative, Ravage. Do you need extraction?" Cyborg sounded weary, which isn't surprising considering the situation.

"What do you think, Chrome-dome? I got a speedster and a Batbabe in need of ticket home! Lock onto my signal already!" So far there had been no casualties, mainly because of how quick Batman was able to organize the recovery effort. Ravage didn't want to see that change.

"Already done. I'm sending Miss Martian and Blue Beetle your way now; they should reach you in five." He, along with Wonder Woman had been coordinating the teams remotely, not an easy task considering the ground they had to cover and the variety of villains who called Gotham home. What they lacked in super powers they made up for with pure cruelty and insanity. Add to that the fact that most of the heroes helping in Gotham were fresh off of their battles with the duplicates.

"Okay, Red helps on the way, just sit tight while I help Sp-"

"Deathstroke… Deadshot… up to something… with Two-Face… just left… were headed west…" Batgirl's voice may be soft, but her grip on Ravage's arm is strong. "You might catch up to them… if you take… my cycle…" Ravage follows Batgirls gaze to her bike leaning against the wall down the block. Batgirl smiles triumphantly. "Stuck a tracer on their getaway van…"

"What about-?"

With great effort, Batgirl gets to her feet, using the same hydrant that nearly did her in for support. "I'm hurt, not dead! Besides, me and the newb can handle tall and scaly until the others get here." Ravage may have at one time hated the crime fighter in front of her, but now she feels nothing but respect for her. "Just keep your eyes on them until we can catch up. _**Don't**_ engage them unless you _**absolutely**_ have to!"

"Here." Ravage hands her the wrist communicator. "Cyborg will be pinging this thing until Beetle and Bubbles get here, once they do send the cutie with the webs after me!" Ravage doesn't wait for a response; she takes off running and in a second is on the cycle screaming after her estranged father.

With a sigh, Barbara leans against the nearby pole and watches Spiderman battle Killer Croc. She notes with amusement how similar his fighting style is to Dick's. Despite all of Batman's efforts, both Peter and Dick never fully took to his disciplined approach to combat. Both of them used their extreme athleticism to keep their opponents' off guard. Of course, Dick on his best day could never match Peter's agility.

"I'll kill you, you insect! Squish you flat!" Killer Croc yells frustrated at being unable to lay a hand on Spiderman. Each time he came close to connecting, Spiderman eased out of the way and punched him.

"Well, well well…" Spiderman quips leaping away from the Croc's attack while delivering a solid kick to his shoulder.. "I would have bet money your vocabulary didn't extend beyond single syllable words; but look at you! Using words like _**insect**_ in a sentence! Your mother would be proud!"

With a snarl Croc thrusts his tail at Spiderman's head, which Peter webs quickly and slings the creature into the air. "Be right back, Red, stay put!" Spiderman jokes before leaping straight up after him. Catching up to him, he grabs hold of his neck and delivers a series of straight rights into his head. With no leverage, Croc is at a complete disadvantage. Spiderman lets gravity do the rest, twisting midair so that Croc is pinned underneath him.

When they land Croc leaves a small crater in the street. Croc is defenseless but just as Spiderman prepares to finish him off he hesitates. Looking down at Croc's lizard like face, Spiderman is hit by a powerful wave of paralyzing déjà vu. A snatch of something familiar causes him to waver for just a moment. The name _**"Connors"**_ flashes briefly in mind causing him to shake his head violently.

It gives Croc the opening he needs as he kicks the hero to the side.

The blow sends Spiderman flying, but he's able to twist mid-air and land on a nearby parked car. The seconds it takes him to land and collect himself, Croc has already turned his attention back to the shaky Barbara Gordon. "First the skirt, then you bug boy!"

"Batgirl!" Moving at a clip that would have made Flash proud, he closes the distance between them and tackles Croc to the ground. In his panic, he drives his fist mercilessly into the head and face of Killer Croc. Breaking teeth and shattering bone. He's so focused on keeping Croc down; he doesn't notice the villain is already unconscious.

"Easy there, Webs… he's finished."

Barbara's voice brings him from his daze and he relents, squatting over the limp body breathing heavily. Collecting himself, he stands up, tosses Croc's body over his shoulder carrying him to nearby electric pole. Dropping him unceremoniously to the ground, he switches his gauntlet to the capacitate gel he developed and dumps an entire cartridge on him. Once it hardens, it is denser than steel and should be more than enough to keep him down.

"How do you suppose Gotham's finest is going to feel about having to uproot an electric pole just to cart away _**one**_ escaped felon?" Barbara asks warily. She can tell that Spiderman had nearly lost control, just like he had that night in the parking lot. The difference being, as far as she knew, he wasn't under Poison Ivy's toxins. Still, whatever demons he was struggling with, there was no denying that if he hadn't been here, she would have likely died. So she was torn between the gratitude she felt and the headache he just created for her father, Commissioner Gordon.

"Better that a few people go without lights for a day, than to have this _**thing**_ running the streets…" Spiderman mumbles. He was unnerved by what happened. For the second time tonight he felt something odd. A tugging from the corners of his mind, but whenever he reached back for it, he felt the same blankness he always felt. Needless to say he was beginning to get frustrated. He couldn't even remember the name that he had just been so fixated on.

"You guys okay?" Miss Martian lands next to Spiderman looking at him concerned. From her approach she caught the tail end of the exchange between Spiderman and Croc. She could sense Batgirls' fear and Spiderman's frustration and neither emotion seemed tied to the situation in Gotham.

"Fine. Check on Batgirl and Kid Flash- wait! Where's Ravage?" Spiderman looks around anxiously. In the heat of the exchange he lost sight of her, but had expected to find her still in the area.

"I sent her after Deathstroke and Deadshot-"

Displaying the same frightening speed he had earlier, he has Batgirl by the shoulders in an instant. "By _**herself**_? They'll kill her!"

"She would disagree with your assessment." Barbara states coolly trying to keep her voice level. "But I told her not to take them on; she's just going to keep tabs on them until we can rally after her. Now, if you don't mind…" Batgirl tries not to wince at the pressure he's exerting on her, but fails. Spiderman thankfully, notices her discomfort and releases her.

"You know that's not true, Batgirl…" Spiderman knew that the second she had an opportunity she was going to try and attack her father. There was just too much bad blood between them. And given Spiderman's fever dream, he was especially concerned. "I guess she's expendable to you right? She's just one of those "acceptable losses" to you, on account of her being a recently reformed villain, right?"

"Maybe you don't understand the situation, Rook, but here's the deal; the clock is ticking. The longer these guys are running loose, the less likely we are to catch them before innocent people are hurt!" Barbara scolds, upset at Spiderman's implication. Even though she had her doubts about Ravage, she didn't send her after Deathstroke because she thought she was expendable, she did it because she was available. And, more importantly, Barbara trusted the girl. "And no loss is _**ever **_acceptable! I sent her after them in order to prevent the loss of life! If you're gonna wear the uniform, you better start acting the part! These are the decisions you better get used to making if-"

"If I wanna grow up to be just like you, you mean? Like Robin and Batman? I think Nightwing had the right idea; get as far away from Gotham as possible and _**never come back**_…" Spiderman looks over at Beetle and Miss Martian who have been watching the exchange. "Bart's in _**there**_, go check on him!" The two make a hasty retreat, deciding against voicing their concerns. Once sure they have left he turns back to Barbara. "Last time; what direction?"

**-Themyscira-**

"Ugh… Lord Darkseid, do you truly believe that which we seek is in this dreadful place? It literally _**teems**_ with life!"

"Without life, there can be no death..." Darkseid turns to his Parademons eagerly. "Fan out, find the cask, but do not touch it! Signal once you've located it. If you run into any inhabitants… kill them!" Darkseid stands on the shores of Themyscira amused. If he had to venture a guess as to the least likely place for the Anti-life equation to held, this picturesque island would have been his last guess.

Perhaps that fact is what made him believe it to be here; the unlikelihood of locations made it less likely any would stumble upon in accidentally. Lyta could not tell him specifically where it was; only that it was kept in a silver casket and on this island. That was enough for him.

"It is a shame that you destroyed Kalibak, my Lord. He is an exceptional tracker and commander; he could have made our search much easier…" Desaad muses watching Darkseid's troops form ranks to begin their search.

"Truly?" Darkseid asks, eyes blazing with Omega energy. "I would have thought the greater shame is that Kalibak's actions _**necessitated**_ his destruction to begin with. Do you disagree?"

Sensing the rage bubbling beneath the surface of that question, Desaad shakes his head definitively. "Of course not, my Lord, forgive me if I spoke out of turn."

"Consider yourself fortunate that I do not have time to properly punish you." Darkseid states flatly, activating a mother box to open another Boom tube. "You are to return to Apokolips and place yourself under the _**care**_ of Granny and her Furies. Perhaps they can teach the appropriate tone and tenor with which to speak to your master."

Without another word, Desaad disappears through the tube, leaving Darkseid standing amidst the troops. He can't help but lament that he had not been aware of the location of the cask the last time he was here. He could have gained both the equation and the Kryptonian as his chief lieutenant in one fell swoop.

"In time, I suppose I could recover what I lost… especially if Ares is successful with his own endeavor…" A rare smile spreads across the dark titans' face thinking of the possibilities. The smile is short-lived as several of his men fall victim to arrow strikes. He catches the one headed towards him inches from his face and snaps it. Scanning the area he finds the one responsible and laughs.

"Is this how you welcome all visitors to your island, your Highness? Not very diplomatic of you…"

"When the dread lord of Apokolips darkens your doorstep, you don't invite him in for tea." Hippolyta answers with her bow still drawn. "I haven't forgotten the last time you were here…"

"I was just thinking of that actually… I'm not one prone to bouts of nostalgia, but I thoroughly enjoyed my last visit…"

"You'll not find this trip as enjoyable!" Hippolyta returns her bow to its holster on her saddle and unsheathes a gleaming sword. "Amazons! Leave none alive!"

"A woman after my own heart…" Darkseid muses as the Amazons approach on horseback. He signals his men to rush them. "Attack my Parademons!" The troops, astride their hounds, move to meet the Amazonians in battle.

The Parademons may not be exceptionally bright or skilled, but what they lack in battle prowess, they make up for in sheer numbers and ferocity. They outnumber the Amazons five to one and that disparity is quickly evident.

"Will you continue to hide behind your monstrous horde, Darkseid?" Hippolyta questions, cleaving the head free from the nearest hound before its jaws can close around her steed. "I thought you were a lover of death? I would be happy to arrange an introduction!"

"Woman, your attempts to bait me are futile." Darkseid announces remaining beyond the fray, watching with mild interest. "Once the sand is stained with your blood, I will step over your corpse and claim what is mine."

Surprised by his statement, Hippolyta dismounts and runs her blade through another Parademon, before asking: "What are you talking about?"

**-Aboard the Justice League ship-**

"You sure you're up for this?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Diana." Superman stands behind the pilot seat as Diana steers the ship on a return course to Themyscira. He had just regained consciousness when Green Lantern informed Diana of the situation on her home island. Although he wasn't at one hundred percent yet, he was getting closer every minute. "I'm fine. Besides, if Darkseid is there in person you're going to need my help."

Their numbers were split.

Some of the League are assisting in Gotham; others were tracking down leads on Ares. All that was left were aboard this craft; Wonder Woman, Superman, Artemis, Flash and Power Girl. None of them were at their peak right now. Mentally, emotionally or physically.

"You're right, of course…" She didn't like to admit it, but she would need all the help she could get. Diana tries to busy her mind with piloting the ship, rather than think about what could be happening on the island. She had no idea why Darkseid would be interested in her home, but she was confident that it had something to do with Ares. Somehow, he must have convinced Darkseid there was something he wanted on Themyscira.

"Our Queen will likely have already repelled the foul beast and his minions before we arrive!" Artemis snorts confidently. Since his last trip to Themyscira, the Amazons had increased their focus on training. Making sure they would not be caught so unaware again.

"Then the least we can do is sweep up the remains." Flash jokes trying to lighten the mood. The last few days have been particularly harrowing for them and the last thing they needed was this. Darkseid was the most dangerous foe they'd ever faced and every time they'd won against him it had always been just barely.

"What could he want with your people, Diana?" Superman asks taking a seat next to Diana. It was a question that was on Diana's mind as well. The last time that he invaded Themyscira he had only come because Superman's cousin was there.

"I do not know…" Diana admits, frustrated. "But he will leave _**empty handed**_."

"If he leaves at all!" Artemis adds angrily. She didn't like the situation one bit. Didn't like that no one knew why Darkseid was on Themyscira. Didn't like the fact that she was now taking help from the people of mans' world. And she especially doesn't like how attached Diana seems to be to these "heroes". "Diana, may I have a word in private?"

Diana looks up from the instrument panel with a look of disbelief on her face. "Now?"

Artemis nods solemnly. "There likely will not be time sufficient for it later."

"It's okay, Wonder Woman," Flash offers. "I can take us in from here…"

Diana hesitates, but shrugs and unstraps herself. She follows Artemis to the back of the craft. Diana smirks at Artemis' attempt at privacy. "You do realize that the guy in the cape has super hearing, right?"

"If he respects you as much as he should, then he won't listen." Artemis takes a deep breath and continues. "What do you plan on doing once we have ensured the safety of our home?"

"What do you mean?" Diana knew of course what she meant. Artemis had not made it a secret that she felt that Diana did not belong among the world of men. It touched her deeply that her teacher had continued to fight so valiantly for her return.

"When you left, although I didn't agree, I understood why. The threat was one that endangered not only their world, but ours as well. Your mother, _**our **_queen, banished you and although I didn't agree, I understood that too. But it has been long enough. You know as well as I do that the only thing barring your return is _**you**_."

Diana was speechless. Although she expected this plea, she was struck by the fact that she couldn't respond. Yes, she missed her sisters and her life on the island. Yes, she found this world to be a bitter and cold place in comparison to Themyscira and often felt like the alien resident she was. The choice should have been obvious but it wasn't. "We still have to contend with Ares, he's-"

"Not our problem." Artemis answers flatly. "Zeus will deal with him as he always has."

"Perhaps… but until we're sure…"

"You're stalling Diana and I don't know why!" Artemis whispers harshly. "There will always be a _**crisis**_ for these people. If not Ares, then this Darkseid creature, or whatever other ridiculous "Supervillain" that decides his way of doing things is best. Their world has done nothing but drag you through its darkness and poison your mind _**and body**_ with its taint…"

"That is a well-struck blow, sister…" Diana counters softly. She confided in Artemis the details of her torture at the hands of Joker. Now, her closest friend had used that horrible experience to make a point.

"I did not mean it to be so, Diana. But the truth often cuts deeper than a two-edged sword…" Artemis grasps the woman by her shoulders consolingly. "What _**enlightenment**_ have you gained by your being here? What experiences have there been that would _**enhance **_your life or the lives of others? Tell me you do not still think there is anything to be gained by remaining?"

Diana, feeling defensive removes Artemis' hands. "I have become a _**better**_ person by being here! A more complete person! Yes there have been… things I wish had not happened… but what would you have me do? Flee at the first sign of adversity? That is contrary to the way you yourself raised me!"

"I am not asking you to flee, Diana." Artemis states softly. "I am asking you to _**return**_; to where you belong. To where you are _**truly **_loved." 

**-Roof tops of Gotham-**

_**Ugh! Why did you give Batgirl your transponder? Did you not want us to find you?**_

Spiderman swings from the rooftops in the direction Batgirl pointed him. It wasn't until he was half a mile from the fight with Croc that he realized how pointless this was.

He could cover a lot of ground web-swinging, but that didn't matter if he had no idea where he was going. He knew that when he took off the chances of catching up to Ravage were slim, but he couldn't just wait and hope for the best.

He lands lightly on a rooftop and scans the ground below him hoping for some sign of Batgirl's cycle.

_**Nothing. Face it Pete; you should've waited for some back up. Miss Martian could have picked up her thoughts; Beetle's alien scarab thing could have tracked her bio signature. But noooooooo you just had to chase after her yourself didn't you? Batman would be extremely proud of you now, wouldn't he?**_

**-Batcave, several months ago-**

"That Spider sense of yours is a remarkable gift… with the right amount of training you could be untouchable in a fight." Batman rarely gave out praise, but when he did it was always conditional.

"I definitely like the sound of that…" Spiderman laughs, rubbing his sore jaw. Despite his speed and reflexes, Batman had still managed to land quite a few shots. A fact Robin made sure to remind him of after every training session.

"With training," Batman tosses Peter an ice pack for his already purplish face. "You may even expand the skill beyond just ducking punches…"

"What do you mean?"

Batman gives him a look that Peter has come to associate with disappointment. For some reason, Batman seemed to forget that he was _**always**_ the smartest person in the room. Most of the time people only pretended to know what he was talking about, in the hopes of figuring it out later. "What do you think I mean, Peter?"

Peter hated it when he did this. Batman never just straight out gave you an answer; he wanted you to come to the conclusion on your own. In a way, Peter imagined this was his method of helping you to think about things on a deeper level. But that didn't stop it from being incredibly annoying. "I don't know, hence the reason for the question." Peter responds aggravated.

Batman's expression doesn't change when he asks his next question. "What's the origin of this enhanced sense of yours? Why do you have this ability?"

Peter rolls his eyes. "Because my DNA has arachnid components to it…" The answer feels weak, not just because of Batman's facial expression, but because Peter should know more about why he has the DNA of a spider intermingled with his own. But, since he doesn't he continues with what he knows. "Most spiders are hunters, so they need the extra senses to ensnare their prey…"

"I thought that was why they spun webs?" Robin challenges with a smirk. Unlike Peter, Tim enjoyed when Batman challenged him. In Tim's opinion it was how Batman showed he respected you.

"Well yeah, but they also have enemies that could've gotten caught in their webs, so they need to react quickly in case the worst happens." Peter answers a little unsure. Now he felt like he was being double-teamed.

"Perhaps," Batman agrees nodding. "But the vibrations on their web would tell them if their prey had any fight left in them. And if they did, a spider could simply web them up and wait until their prey suffocated. So really, their senses are based on their connection to the web they've spun and being able to read what the vibrations are telling them."

"But I don't need to spin webs to sense danger…" Peter argues. "I just… _**I just do**_…"

"That doesn't mean your senses aren't a variation on the theme." Batman, realizing Peter might not be able to think objectively about himself, provides Peter with another clue. He swings at Peter; fast and hard. Peter stumbles backward to avoid the blow. "Any object that passes through the air creates friction, and friction creates a form of _**vibration**_. The fibers on a spider's body and legs do more than keep them from falling when they climb up a building; they allow them to read those vibrations in a way that no other creature can match. Why would you be any different?"

Peter considers Batman's words and is awe of the way he's able to draw things together in such a way that it seems simple. Although the concept he proposed was extremely complex.

It would mean that Peter's body sensed the way an object moved through the air transmits this to his brain which in turns determines whether the object is a threat and how he should react to it. Those calculations had to take place in a millisecond. "What did you mean by expanding it?"

"A spider is so in tune with its surroundings it can read the world around it by touch alone… imagine what you might be able to do one day..."

**-Gotham, now-**

That conversation had been the last time they talked about expanding Peter's Spider Sense, but it was not the last time that Peter thought about it. During his periods of meditation he would try to test it out; feeling his way outward. Sometimes he did feel something, but he could never tell for sure. Maybe things could be different if he actually had something to look for.

_**Really, what have I got to lose?  
><strong>_  
>Peter sits perched on the edge of the building; he pulls the gauntlets from his hands and sets his palms flat against the stone. He's surprised by how warm the stone feels, considering the cool night air, but he has more important things on his mind. So he begins by relaxing his muscles, allowing all the tension to bleed from him. Then he starts slowing his breathing and his heart rate. His ears begin pounding with the sound of the city below him, despite the chaos of tonight, there is still quite a bit of activity out there.<p>

The roar of the traffic, the sounds of people talking, arguing, walking, they all begin to fade deep into the back of his mind. The sounds continue to fade until the only thing he can hear is the sound of his own slowed breathing. He focuses on Rose; allowing her image to fill his thoughts. Willing himself to feel the importance of finding her.

For a while there's just silence, but the silence is broken by something.

Not much, barely a tickle, but he cocks his head to the side trying to pick out what it is. When nothing else happens for a moment he begins to lose his patience, until he feels it again. This time much stronger. Without removing his hands from the ledge he turns in the direction and the pull borders on magnetic.

Acting on instinct he fires a web line in the direction and follows it down to a lower rooftop.

Settling there he waits again but there's nothing. Whatever led him here disappears quickly, leaving a cold silence.

_**Easy Pete, stay cool... don't force it, just let it happen...  
><strong>_  
>Again relaxing, he allows the calmness to come over him again. Again he feels the pull. The pull turns into an insistence and a burning desire to follow it.<p>

He leaps from the building and races towards the beacon going off in his head hoping it will lead him to her in time.

**-Uptown Gotham, Deathstroke's mobile unit-**

"We've got a tail, Wilson."

"You think I don't know that?" Slade murmurs from the passenger seat to Deadshot. He'd noticed the motorcycle several blocks back. When Batgirl threw her batarang at him, he assumed she'd been trying to hit him. Now he realized that she had been aiming for the truck behind him the whole time. The vigilantes that Batman trained were nothing if not resourceful.

"Is it the Batbabe?" Deadshot asks, glancing at his rearview mirror and pressing his foot to the accelerator. He hated being locked up in Arkham with those other lunatics. He had no intention of going back, no matter how much Two-Face had promised them. "You should have let me kill her when I had the shot! Trusting that brain dead reptile to do anything but screw up-"

"First of all, you _**didn't have a shot to take**_ and the longer you waited for one, the more likely reinforcements would have come. And with Arkham destroyed, you'd be headed straight to Blackgate." The only place Deadshot hated more than Arkham was Blackgate prison. "Secondly, with that mutant freak out of the picture, your cut is now increased. If anything you should be thanking me. And lastly... that's _**not**_ Batgirl..."

"Should I try and shake… whoever it is?"

"Batgirl placed a tracer on the vehicle." Slade states confidently. "There'd be no losing this tail."

"So what-?" Deadshot asks impatiently, while he silently promises himself to put two in Deathstroke's brain if he gets the chance.

"So we make a stand here, take out the nuisance before her friends can catch up and be on our way."

"Good." Deadshot nods in agreement. "Wait... you said it wasn't Batgirl..."

"Pull over here..." Slade orders, pointing to a building under construction by Wayne Enterprises. He found it interesting that the billionaire playboy was so invested in the restoration of a dead city. "You take position high above and I'll speak to my _**daughter**_."

**************************************************** ************************

Rose knew she had been made when they turned into the rundown clinic under construction. If Two-Face was holed up here, she'd eat her boot.

_**Deadshot and Deathstroke must have made me and are setting up an ambush... If I wait them out they could sneak away... If I take them on by myself...  
><strong>_  
>A wide smile spreads across the young woman's face. She has been aching for a chance to even the score with her father since he broke into Titans' HQ. And despite Batgirl's warning to the contrary, Rose had every intention of taking advantage of the opportunity.<p>

She dismounts the bike and leans it against a nearby telephone pole. The street is remarkably deserted. Unlike Metropolis and Star City, the residents of Gotham were not the curious sort. When they were advised to stay indoors most did just that. Likely they'd seen firsthand what happens to people who ignore the warnings and decide to be curious.

_**Deadshot will likely take the high ground, try and flank me, while Deathstroke takes me on the ground level. Deadshot's good, better than good, if I give him a shot he won't hesitate...**_

Ravage moves steadily towards the building under construction and scans the upper levels for any movement. If this were simply a construction site picking out Deadshot's hiding spot would be simple. But with half of the building completed, there were multiple places for him to hide.

_**Maybe they-**_

She's just barely able to avoid Deathstroke's bo staff as it connects with the wall behind her. She jumps backward to create some distance as her father emerges from the shadows.

"Attacking me from the dark? Something of a cowardly move, don't you think?"

"Actually," Deathstroke counters circling his daughter cautiously. "The fact that I attacked you in such a way shows how much I respect your skills..." Lowering his staff he fires a blast of stun energy which takes out the first floor window as Ravage avoids it. "I was worried you may have gotten soft, all the time you spend with the _**Kiddie League**_."

"You know first-hand that the Titans' are anything but _**soft**_..." Ravage chuckles, thinking back to the number Peter had done on him. She'd never seen Deathstroke so close to being beaten.

Wilson picks up on her hidden meaning and removes his mask to look his daughter in the eye. "Your little spider friend was nowhere near as close to beating me as he or _**anyone else **_thinks. But perhaps, by way of _**beating on you**_, I can drive that point home..."

As much as Rose is ready for the assault it doesn't matter. Slade attacks with a series of bo staff swings that connect more often than not. She again springs backwards trying to create some space, fresh blood dripping from her nose.

"Tsk, tsk, my dear..." Wilson smirks storing his bo staff back in his holster. "Bleeding already... not a good sign. Perhaps I'm being too rough with you..." Slade then gestures for Ravage to attack him mockingly. It has the affect he wants, she attacks him viciously.

He easily counters most of her blows, wanting to see how much she's changed since being with the Titans. To his dismay he can tell she's changed a great deal. Her punches lack the crispness and vigor that they had when he first encountered her.

Ravage no longer fights to kill her opponent.

Grabbing her wrist violently mid swing, he yanks her forward into his waiting fist. The blow sends her to one knee and she cries out in pain as he drives his fists into her shoulder. She manages to roll away from his follow up stomp and stagger to her feet shakily.

"This is exactly what I feared..." Deathstroke shakes his head disappointedly. He only allowed her to join up with the Titans in the hope that _**she **_may corrupt _**them**_. Get them to abandon their _**do-gooder**_ ways in favor of his way of doing things. He'd always wanted a team of his own corrupt teen heroes to command and the raw power in the Teen Titans was enough to make it worth the gamble. But instead he could tell the opposite had occurred; _**their influence had rubbed off on her**_. She'd lost the edge that had made him interested in her in the first place. She was no different than his son Joseph. "You are no longer my daughter..."

Struggling to smile, Rose speaks. "That may be the _**nicest**_ thing you've ever said to me."

Wilson shakes his head solemnly. "You don't understand..." This time Wilson unsheathes the broadsword he carries and brings it level in front of him. "Your usefulness to me was based solely on your ability to act as a corrupting influence on the Titans. Now that I see the opposite has taken place... you are no longer of use to me..."

"No longer of use?" Ravage unsheathes the small short sword she carries and leaps into the air. Since being with the Titans she had only used the blade in extreme situations, but she had maintained it well. When M'Gann asked her why she insisted on keeping the blade so sharp, Rose simply shrugged; "Never know when you'll need to cut something." Right now she has designs on cutting _**someone**_.

"Better. But still mediocre." Slade comments deflecting her attack and driving her away with a roundhouse kick. She had used a killing maneuver, one that would have likely taken the head off the shoulder of a lesser opponent. Once she's back on her feet, she charges him full speed and now he sees that the fire has not been put out completely.

Eventually, their fights always came down to three basic elements:

She heals fast; _**he heals faster**_.

She's quick; _**he's like lightning**_.

She hits hard; _**he hits harder**_.

After a few clashes of their blades, one of Deadshot's bullets shatters her sword at the hilt. She clutches her hand in pain as a few shards make it into her skin.

"Bastard!" Ravage kicks wildly at her father, catching him by surprise. He takes the full brunt of the kick on his chin and stumbles backward. Seeing an advantage she leaps after him, but recovers quickly enough to back hand her hard enough to send her sprawling.

"If I had known…" Deathstroke rubs his chin ruefully. "That having someone shoot at you would force you to step up your game; I would have had someone do it sooner." Charging after her at full speed he deposits a hard right to her midsection, just below her rib cage. She drops to the floor, dry heaving unable to catch her breath. "I hope you realize…" Slade grabs her head and tilts it up so that he can see her face. "…that this is for your own good."

Ravage opens her mouth to respond but in able to when Slade's knee crunches her nose. Deadshot watches from his perch in the rafters in disgust.

He had no issue with killing; for the right price he'd kill his mother and not think twice. But this was different. When he took someone out; they were here one moment and gone the next. He took no pleasure in their misery, he only cared about the paycheck. He always thought that despite their differences he and Slade were the same in that respect. Watching him viciously beating his own daughter, made him doubt it.

"Yeaaaaarghhhh!"

Before he heard Ravage's blood curdling scream he heard the telltale crack of a bone breaking. He's had enough. "If you're gonna do it Wilson, then do it already and be done with it!" He yells from his position on the second floor.

"Lawton, don't tell me how to raise my child…" Wilson answers flatly with a tone that is both threatening and soft. "Rose…? Can you still hear me, or have I shattered your eardrums?"

Defiantly Ravage swings her good arm in Slade's direction, the other arm hangs broken at her side.

"Still some fight left?" Wilson asks, grabbing hold of her good arm. "Let's see what we can do about that…"

**-Themyscira, beach-  
><strong>  
>"Let me take the lead on this, if Darkseid is still here, he knows we're here too..."<p>

No one argues with Superman as he exits the craft taking to the air immediately. The sight that meets him is one he wishes he could forget.

There are bodies everywhere; both Amazonian and Darkseid's forces.

There is an eerie still on the beach, calm except for the occasional wave splashing up on the shore. If you closed your eyes, you could pretend this was just a normal quiet day at the beach.

"Hera, no..." Diana groans once she catches sight of the blood soaked beach. Early in her life, this was her favorite place to come. She would sit on the edge of the beach with her eyes focused out towards the sea and fantasize about what life might be like on the other side. Her mother thought it was just the fanciful imaginings of a child, but in fact Diana never let go of those dreams.

Perhaps if she had she would not have to bear witness to the sight that greets her today.

"Are they all-?"

"They can't be... they just... help me check!" Artemis is even more distraught than Diana. Many of the fallen are women whom she personally trained. Spent hours, day and night helping them hone their skills. She knew them all by name and as she frantically checks for signs of life, her heart breaks with each missing pulse.

"Superman can you-?" Diana doesn't have the heart to ask, but thankfully Superman doesn't need her to. With his super hearing and his vision, he could easily find out the truth.

"I'm sorry..." He offers knowing he has to tell her something she will not want to hear. "There are a few that are holding on... but..."

Diana nods. She's walked enough battlefields to know that there was little hope of anyone surviving. You couldn't tell that to Artemis though and Flash was right by her side. Diana had to admire the speedster's compassion. He had to know as well as they did that Artemis' search was in vain.

"Tiaria?"

"Art- cough Artemis... you're here..." The woman lying in the sand looks like she's no older than twenty to Flash. He clutches his fist angrily at seeing someone so young exposed to something so horrible. He didn't know what was worse; the fact that Darkseid could act so mercilessly or that the Amazons could allow children into a warzone.

"Easy little one... don't move, don't try to speak." Artemis looks at Flash, who instantly knows what to do. Speeding back to the ship for a med kit he comes back and attempts to patch up her wounds. If not for his super speed he would not have been able to keep up with the bleeding. "Do you think we can move her?"

"I wouldn't advise it..." Flash was still trying to be optimistic, but the girl has lost a lot of blood. As an officer of the law, he'd seen enough crime scenes to recognize the signs of massive blood loss. He also knew it wasn't likely she had much longer at this point. Amazons may be incredibly tough, but even their durability had its limits.

"We have to move her!" Artemis insists. The sight of Tiaria's pale face wounds her more than the sight of all the other fallen warriors. Tiaria was her most recent pupil, she was also her favorite. Like Diana before her, Tiara was fierce in combat, but had a deep reservoir of compassion for her sisters. It was Artemis' hope that one day the two would meet, though not like this.

"If we're careful... maybe..." Superman offers. He, Diana and Artemis gently lift her body from the sand and carry it back to the ship, where Powergirl is waiting. The three set her down on the gurney in the back of the ship. Superman scans her with his x-ray vision taking note of the various fractures and internal bleeding; he doesn't like what he sees.

"We need to get back out there…" Diana states softly. Amongst the bodies she didn't see her mother or any of her personal attendants. If they were alive, it's likely they were in need of help themselves.

Artemis nods, but doesn't move. She watches Flash attend to her student with a tenderness she didn't know men were capable of.

"Here." Powergirl holds a communicator out to Artemis and then hands one to Diana. "If we split up in teams; me and Artemis, Superman and Wonder Woman, we can cover more ground. Once one of us catches sight of Darkseid or the others we can radio back the location."

"_**No one**_ can cover more ground than me…" Flash offers, upset that Powergirl seems to have forgotten he was there.

This time, Artemis speaks up. "Flash, that may be true, but you seem to be the most gifted in the arts of medicine, you are best served here. Once you're able to stabilize Tiaria-" Artemis looks down at the now unconscious form of Tiaria. "Then you will join us in the fight."

Flash frowns and looks at Superman to back him up. Superman shrugs and nods. "I agree with her Flash, it makes sense."

Flash relents and goes back to his work stitching up Tiaria's wounds. The four make their way from the craft and Superman stops Diana and Artemis. "Are we agreed that _**no one**_ is to engage until we can attack as a foursome?"

Wonder Woman and Artemis share a look and both respond with an emphatic;

"_**NO**_."

**-Inside "Last hope" Free Clinic-**

Ravage lies on the floor, barely conscious struggling to stand. Deathstroke watches her sadistically with a mixture of pride and disgust.

When he lost Joseph, he believed that his legacy would be his own to forge, until Rose showed up. She had a measure of his strength, his skill and his tenacity, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to test her mettle, if she would stay true to herself and to him through anything. When he maneuvered things for her to be taken in by the Titan's he expected her to assimilate them. He can't describe his disappointment over her decision to embrace their ideals.

Still he's proud of how she's managed to continue to fight despite the assortment of broken bones and internal bleeding she's suffered.

"Perhaps you are not a completely lost cause Rose…" Deathstroke steps closer to her and pulls her to her feet viciously. Ravage, too weak to cry out, merely groans in protest. "If you swear allegiance to me, right here and now, the slate will be wiped clean between us. We can start anew…"

Painfully Rose raises her head and opens her mouth to speak. "I swear… I swear… to…"

"Yes?"

"… kill you the first chance I get…" Rose tries to laugh, but it comes out as a hacking cough which splatters Wilson's face in blood.

"Have it your way then-" Deathstroke cocks his hand back ready to strike the final blow.

Spiderman swings through the open window catching Deathstroke in the shoulder with both feet. Before Deathstroke lands on the other side of the room Spiderman catches Ravage as she falls. He eases her gently onto the floor to take a closer look at her.

"Took… took your sweet time, didn't ya…?" Ravage sputters with a weak smile.

Spiderman doesn't return her joke; instead he looks at her broken body in anger. "Deathstroke…" He turns in the direction of his enemy, ready to finish him off.

"Spider… don't…" Ravage doesn't get out anything else as she finally loses consciousness on account of her injuries. Spiderman knew that physically she would heal, but he didn't know if she'd ever be the same again after this.

"Dios…"

"Beetle, take Rose back to HQ." Spiderman orders without turning around. Beetle caught up with him a mile back, tracking his communicator and Spiderman allowed him to join his search under the condition that he kept his mouth shut. Several times during his search he lost connection with the feeling that led him here, but it would have been impossible with Blue Beetle's normal prattling.

"Hermano, you're gonna need my help…" Beetle announces watching Deathstroke pull himself from the rubble of the wall he nearly went through. He makes a construct of energy to act as a gurney for Rose and lifts her gently.

"You're right. I'm going to need your help in getting Rose out of here. So please; do what I asked you to do." This time Spiderman does turn to face Beetle and although Hymie can't see his face, his tone is enough to let him know this isn't up for debate.

"I'll be back as soon as I can…" Beetle floats slowly from the building with Ravage in tow.

"You won't be back soon enough…" Spiderman announces grimly as Deathstroke dusts himself off.

"Finally we agree on something." Deathstroke approaches Spiderman slowly. The costumed hero may be young, but Deathstroke knew him to be very formidable. "By the time they return, there may be enough of you left to pour into an urn…"

"Excuse me a moment…" Spiderman quickly fires a web line into the air and in one motion pulls Deadshot down from his perch in the rafters. He hits the ground hard enough to break his collarbone, landing right at Spiderman's feet. Spiderman unceremoniously stomps the man, rendering him unconscious before kicking him across the room and webbing him in place. "Now… you were threatening…?"

Deathstroke is impressed with how easily he dispatched Deadshot, but remains undaunted. "If you thought that fool Lawton was my only advantage, you're mistaken…"

"They say you can tell a lot about a man by the company he keeps, so let's check the scoreboard, shall we gramps? You pal around with a mutated lizard freak and doofus who's only ability is to shoot really well. Both of whom I took out without breaking a sweat. I may be wrong, but doesn't that make you incompetent by association?"

Deathstroke swings his staff in a wide arc forcing Spiderman to dip out of the way. Wilson counting on him dodging that way follows up with a kick meant to take Spiderman's head off, but the kick not only misses its target, but Spiderman manages to deliver a punch to the underside of Wilson's knee. Following up with an elbow to the groin, Wilson stumbles backward angrily.

"You're pretty good kid-"

"No Slade." Spiderman drops into a squat poised to spring at Deathstroke. "You're good… _**I'm better**_." Launching himself towards Slade he tackles him about the midsection. Once he drives him into the wall, he flips away quickly, avoiding the counterattack of Deathstroke who had managed to unsheathe his sword and take a precise swing. Had Spiderman not bounded away to his position on the wall opposite them, he would be dead.

Sticking to the wall, Spiderman waits as Deathstroke collects himself. "No matter how much you leap about like a fool, eventually, I'll catch you." Deathstroke announces confidently.

"Then let me come down there and give you your chance…" Leaping from his spot on the wall, he drops down right in front of Slade. "Fact is, when I said that Beetle won't be back in time, I meant he won't be back to save you."

"That a fact?" Deathstroke asks amused.

"I've decided that I can no longer let you walk around hurting people whenever you want…" With no warning and quicker than Deathstroke would have believed possible, Spiderman throttles him with a right that sends him across the room. "Batman became who he is because _**he saw a wrong and wanted to right it**_. I suppose that's what I want to." Spiderman walks over to Deathstroke who springs to his feet and tries to bury a knife in Spiderman's head. Spiderman leans slightly out of the way and grabs Slade's forearm. Apparently he learned from their last fight, since Deathstroke has since added a heavily armored gauntlet to his gear.

Spiderman crushes the gauntlet, forcing the material to dig into Deathstroke's skin. Deathstroke frees himself from his grip by attempting to drive a knee into his midsection. The move creates the distance he needed and he tears the tattered sleeve from his arm. He watches Spiderman warily.

The last time they fought, the boy was skilled, but not to this degree. His moves are faster, more effortless than before. And that punch would've taken his head off if he hadn't managed to roll with it at the last possible second.

"You're starting to realize it, aren't you?" Spiderman asks as if picking up on Deathstroke's thoughts. "No more jokes, no more sandbagging, no more playing nice. You leave here in a wheelchair or a meat wagon. Those are your _**only **_options."

**Sewers underneath a sewage treatment plant-**

"This guy has no idea where we are, let's just get outta here…"

"And go where, dumbass? The streets are teaming with costumed types and cops…" He whispers back, trying to keep track of the man in front of them.

"I'd rather take my chances with them, then… him… he's a nutjob…"

"Last I checked, you were being held in the same place, so what's dat make you?"

"Boys, I'd be quiet if I were you… Mistah J'll be awful sore if he hears ya talking about him…"

"Harley please," Joker announces returning from the darkness behind them. "What sort of boss would I be if I couldn't take a little criticism?" Joker offers a smile to both men before producing a crow bar from behind his back and wacking the first thug across the back of the head.

"Nick!"

"I guess I'd be the sort of boss who bludgeons idiot employees with a crow bar…" Joker chuckles, stepping over the unconscious man. "If he wakes up, tell him I do in fact know where I'm going and we're here!"

_**A/N: Wondering what's going on with Ares? Don't know what's gonna happen when Diana catches up with Darkseid? Concerned about Spiderman crossing a line no hero is supposed to? All those concerns and Joker in the next chapter!**_


	22. Something does give

_**A/N PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Finally an update!**_

**-Slopes of Mount Olympus- **

Ares had forgotten what it was like.

Exhilaration and joy had become ideas rather than reality. The knowledge of the concepts remained, but with the passage of years they had become dim.

In his youth he often fought alongside mortals; killed and sweat with men whose lives were but a drop of rain compared to his. Still within the horrors of war there was a certain sort of excitement that could not be explained easily.

They lived life on their own terms and in a way were far _**freer **_than he and his immortal kind could ever be. In his opinion this made mortal man's desire for eternal life the biggest joke of all. They never understood that in his eyes, death gave meaning to their lives. The fact that they had only a finite amount of time made every accomplishment even more impressive.

His fellow gods didn't understand either. They thought the fact that they were immortal meant that time was nothing for them to be concerned over. That they could spend years in decadence and still have time for worthwhile pursuits. He would show them their error.

He would show them what a joke their existence really was.

"There is nothing quite like a reputation- ungh- well earned…" Ares knew all about Heracles, even knew some stories that never made it into historical record, he was a warrior greater than all other warriors. Yet there was something about seeing it first-hand that made this battle even sweeter.

Heracles doesn't respond, not with words anyway. The two of them had been fighting for, what felt like days. He had been keeping up a brave front, but he was reaching his limit, while Ares seemed as fresh as a daisy.

"But surely you can see that our father has no interest in supporting you in this fight, Heracles." Ares taunts, swatting the sword away from him with one hand and pressing his advantage. "Wake up, little brother, cut yourself free of his strings!" Despite his impassioned cry, Ares knew that his words fell on deaf ears. There was no reaching someone like Heracles, not now.

He, like many of his other brethren would need to be shown, not told.

**-Bottom of Mount Olympus-**

"There is an incredible energy above us…" Fate has never felt the power that he can sense above them, it makes him shiver a bit. A fact that doesn't escape Zatanna's notice.

She volunteered to attempt to track down Ares and despite the fact one of the most powerful mystics is standing next to her, she felt woefully outclassed. "Where is it coming from?" Zatanna asks and then rethinks the question. "_**Who**_ is it coming from?"

"That much," Dr. Fate answers. "Remains to be determined…" The fabled Mount Olympus had always been somewhat of an enigma to him. It was a place that stood outside and inside of normal reality. Blurring the lines of what was known and unknown. Further up the slope, closer to the home of beings of mythology time ran at an even odder pace. "We would do well to be prepared for anything."

"I always thought that was such a curious saying…" Both of them turn to see Lyta standing before them. "How can someone possibly be ready for anything?" Lyta questions harshly. After she concluded her business on Apokolips, she hurried back here to make sure her father was not disturbed in any way. She was glad she did. These two would definitely prove to be a disturbance.

"What is this all about, child?" Fate asks unafraid. He knew something of the woman in front of them from Diana. A Halfling, a refugee of a forbidden union, time was littered with them. Most that he encountered were unaware of their origins, lived a normal uncomplicated life and died a normal death. The few that knew who they were and what they were capable of proved to be more troublesome.

"It's about change, Fate," Lyta looks up the mountainside with a smile. "Isn't that something we _**all need**_? Everything my father has set in motion has been for the benefit of all."

"Really?" Zatanna snorts derisively. "I think Wonder Woman might disagree with you…"

"What happened to her was… unfortunate…" Lyta admits with a look of shame that catches Zatanna off guard. "And the clown will pay for his role in that sequence of events… but for now-"

Fate senses the attack just before Zatanna and while she is unable to evade Lyta's bolt of energy, Fate teleports away. Lyta checks to make sure Zatanna is out, pleased to see how useful Darkseid's Mother Box has been so far. The blast attacked her nervous system, overloading it, causing temporary paralysis. Despite her power, Zatanna still was human and therefore susceptible to the attack.

She knew she wouldn't be able to take her partner out as easily.

"No chance of you just surrendering quietly, is there?" Lyta asks, ruefully as the man appears behind her. Ares had rightly surmised that eventually the League would employ their own mystics in the fight against him. He seemed to have a contingency for everything. She could only imagine how long he'd been planning this whole thing.

"None, young lady…" Fate answers readying himself. He could tell she not only had her own abilities, but was using technology from Apokolips. Something he wasn't entirely sure he could counter.

"Too bad…"

**-Clinic-**

"You're not getting it, are you Wilson?"

"What… am I not… getting… boy?" Slade Wilson tries not to let on just how tired and aggravated he is right now. In their first fight, the boy showed skill, promise, but he was no more formidable than any of the others he'd faced. But that hero is wildly different than what he faces now. Spiderman countered every move, every punch every attack with ease.

"The first time we clashed?" Spiderman dips out of range of a bo staff swing, with arms folded smugly across his chest. "That wasn't a fight; that was an _**exhibition**_."

Wilson darts backwards and fires several bolts of energy at Spiderman. He knew that the kid would be able to dodge the attack, but he needed some breathing room. Whenever he got too close to Spiderman, he paid for it in punches too fast for him to avoid and too powerful for him to easily shake off. Speed, Wilson could deal with. He's incapacitated every version of Flash there has ever been.

They were overconfident; relying solely on their speed without thinking of how to use it properly. That fact made them predictable.

He could counter strength as well, having once brought Captain Marvel to his knees and reduced Supergirl to tears. But they were brawlers. Undisciplined, wasting effort and energy without results.

Spiderman unfortunately was proving to be none of these things. "An exhibition, you say?" Slade fires several more blasts creating blackened craters in the walls around them. He was hoping to maneuver the hero in position to cave the roof in on him.

"Yes. Hold up a second…" Spiderman webs the staff quickly and yanks it free of Wilson's grip. Holding it in his hands he snaps the weapon in two allowing both pieces to clatter to the ground. "There, that's better. I may not think much of Gotham's playboy philanthropist, but there's no reason to destroy the man's desperate attempt to be relevant, is there? Anyway, as I was saying… I wanted information from you so- I took a little dive…"

Slade's annoyance gives way to anger. "Is that what you tell yourself, boy? That-"

Slade is unable to finish his statement before he is throttled by a hard left in the mouth. Falling backwards he pulls a long knife from his belt and throws it at Spiderman. Spiderman moves as it embeds itself in the wall behind him. Somehow, Spiderman closed the distance between them faster than he could follow. If he didn't end this soon capture would be the least of his worries.

"You shouldn't interrupt…" Spiderman jokes dryly, watching as Slade scrambles to his feet. He can't help but smile a bit seeing Wilson spit out a tooth. "I know a dentist on the upper west side of Gotham, can put in a nice cap for you… you know, so you can look less like a toothless old man at your funeral?"

Amused, Slade smiles genuinely. "What do you know of death, boy? Seen it in a movie? Perhaps, watched it on the news?"

This time Spiderman pauses, feeling unsure of himself. While Slade circles him looking for an opening, he remembers how he nearly lost control with Croc. He didn't give any thought to what he was doing in the moment. It made him wonder about his capacity for violence and if it had anything to do with who he was before Gotham.

Slade, noticing his distraction attacks, driving a roundhouse kick into his midsection and follows it with a swift uppercut that drives Spiderman back. Satisfied he finally made a connection; Slade unsheathes his sword and approaches a winded Spiderman. "Don't worry, hero, I'll make this quick." Slade brings the blade down over his head with forceful speed.

Clasping his palms together around the blade, Spiderman halts the attack. "I've seen your mercy in action Slade…" Twisting his wrist he snaps the blade and before Slade can react he stands grabbing Slade by the throat. "I'm pretty sure you don't understand the meaning of the word." Spiderman tightens his grip, feeling a chilling sense of satisfaction watching the man flail and gasp for breath.

"Apparently… you … need a refresher… yourself…" Slade gasps between struggles. He's stared death in the face enough time to realize he's running out of time, but even still he doesn't believe that Spiderman can go through with it.

Spiderman tosses the man into a stone column across the room. The way Slade crumples to the floor, Spiderman can tell most of the fight is gone from him. "I think that was your collarbone breaking, Slade…" He announces trying to keep his voice steady.

Slade grimaces in agreement. "I think… you're right…" Slade painfully moves his hands in front of him in surrender. "So I guess you'll be calling in the authorities now…" In spite of all Spiderman's posturing he knew the hero would never cross the line he himself had so many times before. As much as he loathed conceding defeat, he had not properly prepared himself to fight this hero; next time would be different though. There were plenty of judges and politicians who'd make sure he spent less than a few days in lock up. The drill was fairly the same; someone would come visit him with an offer of early release for a price. An easy kill job later and he'd be back in business.

Their next meeting would be nothing like this.

"Why?" Spiderman asks, curiously. "So you can just arrange your escape once you've healed up? I don't think so…"

Something in his voice strikes a chord with Wilson and he carefully reaches for a flash grenade on his belt. If he could disorient him for a few seconds, he could make his escape.

"Aaarrghhh!"

Before he could grab the weapon Spiderman's foot comes down hard on his wrist, breaking bone.

"No end to your tricks, is there Slade?" Spiderman rips the belt free of Slade, tossing it across the room. Before Wilson can answer, Spiderman delivers another hard blow to the face of the assassin, causing him to begin bleeding from his nose.

Woozy, Slade tries to get to his feet, but another devastating blow convinces him to sit back down. He tries to ward off and avoid the onslaught of punches being delivered by Spiderman, but each punch finds its mark. So forceful are the blows that the stone column that Slade is leaning against, begins to show signs of cracking.

"Awfully quiet there, Deathstroke…" Spiderman notes between punches. "Guess you only talk big when you have the upper hand…" Spiderman lifts the man to his feet roughly holding him upright with one hand.

Slade responds by thrusting his leg out in an attempt to kick Spiderman, but he grabs his leg just below the knee and twists. The snap of cartilage and bone are drowned out by the painful scream he lets loose.

"Ah… so there is still some fight left in you yet…" Spiderman drops the leg to the floor, confident that even if it heals, it will never be the same again.

"Get… get… just get it… over with…!" Slade did not fear death; he expected it, given his chosen line of work. But to be humiliated in this way, by a kid, was more than he could stand.

Spiderman doesn't respond with a witty remark, instead he raises his hand and prepares to grant Wilson's request. Slade looks up at the man expectantly; a small smile comes to the corner of his mouth. Of all the ways he'd envisioned his eventual demise, this had never crossed his mind; beaten to death by a boy. A boy barely out of puberty by the sound of his voice. It would be hilarious if it hadn't been happening to him.

"Nooooo!"

The protest doesn't come from either man, but from behind them. Spiderman's punch lands one inch to the left of Slade's head, creating a hole in the concrete column he was leaning against. Pulling his fist from the stone, Spiderman draws Slade close to him. "Saved by the bell old man…"

The steel in his voice convinces Slade that the young man had in fact been prepared to finish the job if it hadn't been the arrival of Starfire. It was amusing to him that she had been the one to arrive, considering he nearly killed her last time. Had he succeeded, he himself might be dead.

Driving an elbow into his jaw, Spiderman knocks Wilson out and tosses him at the feet of his teammates; Blue Beetle and Starfire. "Take him to Blackgate, they have an infirmary there."

Starfire doesn't respond, but Blue Beetle, to his credit, restrains Wilson in the scarabs' energy. He wraps him and the unconscious Deadshot up and leaves the building. He could tell that this was not going to be a pretty scene. When he dropped Rose off with Beast Boy and the others, Starfire grilled him about Spiderman. He could tell from her tone that she cared a great deal for the hero and when he told her he left him alone against Deathstroke she streaked out of sight faster than he would have thought possible.

He didn't know what to expect once they caught up to him, but the last thing he'd thought he'd see was Deathstroke beaten to a pulp. He was impressed.

"What were you doing?" Starfire questions once Beetle is gone. The last time Spiderman faced Deathstroke alone he took a pretty good beating. But catching the tail end of the fight between the two of them, she wasn't sure what to think.

"Subduing a dangerous criminal." Spiderman answers simply walking past the heroine. He didn't mean to be cold, but he was in no mood for the lecture he imagined was in store.

"That's not what it looked like to me…" Starfire accuses, grabbing his arm as he walks by. She didn't like seeing him like this. She saw the same thing happen to Dick; he started out so optimistic and light-hearted, but eventually he became darker and colder. The toll of seeing so many people he cared about hurt, killed, made him lose that boyish smile she fell in love with. Now she was witnessing it happen all over again.

Except this time she plans on stopping it from happening.

"No?" Spiderman asks irritated. He could still feel the anger he felt towards Slade ramping up his adrenaline. Starfire tries to get Spiderman to face her, but he grabs her hand at the wrist. "Don't. I'm fine."

Snatching her wrist free she crosses her arms. "You are not! You were going to kill him!"

"So?"

"So? So? That is not who we are! Who you are!" When she notes that he doesn't seem to respond to her pleas she eases his cowl from his face. Even though his face remains impassive, his eyes still hold a glimmer of compassion within their brown depths. "You are a good man, Peter. Don't allow the poison of this world to seep its way into your heart."

Try as he might, he cannot remain angry. He sighs heavily. "What makes you so sure…?"

"Of what?" Starfire asks, caressing his face consolingly. She could sense his frustration and his confusion. She wants more than anything to offer him comfort, but she knew that the customs of this world required one to move much slower than she would have liked.

"What makes you so sure I am a good man…?"

His question holds so much turmoil in it that she does the only thing she can think to do; she kisses him. Softly at first, but then it builds into more as he responds. By the time they break free of each other's embrace the both are breathing heavily.

"Is that a good enough answer?" Starfire asks smiling.

"Actually it just leaves me with more questions…"

**-Themyscira-**

"Why are you making this so difficult? I suppose that is only in your nature…" The steps of the Great Temple of Athena are littered with both Amazons and Parademons. Some are still alive, though most have taken their last breaths. Just a few of Hippolyta's lieutenants remained and she sent those deep into the Temple to prepare for a last stand if need be. It was beginning to look more certain that such a stand would not only be needed but futile.

Hippolyta had never faced a being as unrelenting and powerful as Darkseid.

"What do you know of our nature, beast?" Hippolyta questions thrusting her sword forward in an attempt to disembowel the intruder. "You have only ever set foot on our shores in attempts to take what does not belong to you!"

As he side steps the attack he then backhands the queen into cold marble walls of the outside of the Temple. "I suppose you have a fair point… still… you learn more about a people from shedding their blood than you ever could by conversation…"

As she struggles to her feet the gravelly cold words of Darkseid causes her a great swell of anger. Springing forward with renewed vigor she strikes the Titan over and over again with a flurry of punches. "You are pure evil!"

Driven back a step Darkseid laughs. "You flatter me…" Striking with incredible speed he grabs both her arms in his massive fist and holds the flailing Amazonian in the air. "I admire your spirit. Perhaps once I have what I've come for I'll take you with me. Think of the powerful heir our union would produce…"

Hippolyta kicks Darkseid square in the chin, causing him to drop her. "Not even in your wildest dreams!"

"My dreams are the nightmares of the universe." Darkseid casually wipes the blood from his lip and charges up his Omega beams. "Perhaps… I'll introduce you to them once I've broken your spirit…"

Artemis and Power Girl arrive in time to remove Hippolyta from harm's way, with Power Girl whisking her away in a streak of white and blue.

"Ahh… the bootleg Kryptonian…" Darkseid remarks taking note of Power Girl's ascent into the afternoon sky. "If you know what is good for you, you'll-"

Darkseid's boast is stifled by the fist of Artemis. She followed her attack up with a sweep that lands Darkseid on his back. Pressing her advantage she straddles him delivering savage rights and lefts to his face.

She's so consumed by rage she doesn't notice his eyes taking on a familiar reddish hue.

If not Power Girl's quick reaction the Omega beams of Darkseid would have destroyed her. Just as easily as they had the columns behind them. The two land in a heap a few feet away, next to Hippolyta.

"Get off me you large breasted oaf!" Artemis yells as she scrambles to her feet. In her haste to get Artemis clear she landed square on top of the Amazon.

"You're welcome." Power Girl counters ignoring Artemis' hurtful comment. Power Girl had set Hippolyta on the ground to deal with the more imminent threat, now the three of them stood together. "Our best chance to take him is if we strike together. We can't just charge in half-cocked!"

"She is right, Artemis." Hippolyta concedes, standing shakily on her feet. Between the Parademons and Darkseid, she was pretty much at her limit, but she would not stand aside while others defended her homeland.

"My Queen…" Artemis had never seen her so hurt before and the rage over the sight was unpalatable. She wanted to bathe in the blood of the creature before them.

"I will not leave until I have what I came for." Darkseid announces standing up spitting blood from his swollen jaw. He hadn't expected this much resistance, but it only made his inevitable victory sweeter. "The three of you stand no chance of stopping me!"

"I just signaled Superman and Diana…" Power Girl states, flexing her hands in anticipation. "But I say we don't wait for them to come and hog the fun. What do you say?"

"For once, we are in agreement!"

Artemis and Power Girl both attack Darkseid together. Power Girl from the left with her fists, Artemis from the right with a sword.

Artemis is only slightly disappointed when the sword shatters against the forearm of Darkseid, since she didn't really expect it to do much damage. It was merely to take his focus away from the haymaker delivered by Power Girl the sent Darkseid screaming through a cluster of trees. She wasn't sure, but it seemed reasonable to assume that keeping Darkseid from the temple was imperative.

"What does he want?" Power Girl asks Hippolyta as they give pursuit.

"Something called the… Anti-Life Equation? I have no idea how he came to believe it to be here…" Hippolyta answers just before diving out of the way of a large stone Darkseid just hurled their way.

"Is it?" Power Girl asks, wondering if there could be a way to lure him away from here with it.

"I've no idea what it even is!" Hippolyta answers frustrated. The so-called gods they served had often used her home as a hiding place for their treasures and unwanted items. She wouldn't be surprised if there were things here that she didn't know about.

"This ignorant act of yours is wearing my patience thin, your highness…" Darkseid hurls himself at Power Girl driving a fist into her midsection with enough force to cause her to drop to her knees, coughing up blood. She'd never been hit so hard in her life.

"Back beast!" Artemis wraps her arm around the throat of Darkseid, applying a choke hold to him. Despite her efforts he drives his clasped fist down hard on the head of Power Girl knocking her to face first to the ground. Artemis notes with a cold chill that she does not appear to be moving.

"You'll pay for what you've done, monster!" Hippolyta charges Darkseid only to be knocked off her feet by the body of Artemis as he breaks free of her hold. The two roll away from each other in time to avoid the deadly stomp of Darkseid. As they get to their feet, Darkseid is lifted off his feet and into the sky by a red and blue blur.

"Mother!"

Hippolyta turns to see her daughter running over to her worried. Despite the situation, or maybe because of it, she is glad to see her. "Diana!"

"Has he penetrated the Temple?" Diana asks after the two embrace.

"No. Although I do not think what he seeks is there." Hippolyta offers looking up as two of the most powerful beings in the universe clash.

"It isn't." Diana agrees, making her way over to the motionless form of Power Girl. "Darkseid is simply the pawn of Ares."

"Ares?"

"Yes." Diana gently turns Power Girl over and takes her pulse. She's relieved to find it weak, but steady. "He has been setting fires all over the place, keeping us from being able to focus on unraveling his machinations. I suspect he convinced Darkseid that what he seeks is here in order to not only keep the Justice League busy, but-"

"What has your League to do with us?" Hippolyta asks not hiding her disapproval. So many of her people have died today, if the Justice League had anything to do with that, she would never forgive them. It was only because of Diana that the outside world was even aware of their existence to begin with. "There has been nothing pain and death for your people since you-"

"Ares knew I would not stand by while Darkseid defiled my homeland." Diana interrupts her mother, not interested in having another debate on the subject. "I suspect it was also amusing to him to cause our people pain since we have ever been highly favored by his father. Perhaps he even hoped they might intervene on our behalf…" Diana still wasn't sure what Ares hoped to gain from all this. The weapons he acquired were forged by Zeus himself, there's no way they could be successful against him.

"No chance of that…" Artemis snorts derisively. Out of respect for her queen, Artemis allowed for the belief in the gods, she just didn't share her sisters' enthusiasm for it.

"And of course, with Zeus' subjects falling left and right Ares' father losing strength while Ares profits in power from the conflict." Diana realizes just how thoroughly Ares had covered every angle and hopes they will be in time to stop him.

**-Gotham City Sewage Treatment plant-**

"Where's your partner… Vic? Rick? Bic?"

"Bic's a razor puddin'"

"Harley…" Joker stands from his chair and hovers menacingly over Harley who cowers in fear. "I do believe your right!" His words cause her to smile over his approval, but that smile vanishes as he kicks her hard in the stomach. "But nobody likes a knowitall!"

"No puddin' nobody does…" Harley groans in agreement. Since escaping Arkham he had been increasingly violent towards her, likely still upset over her talking to Batman. Even though if she hadn't, he'd likely be dead now.

"Now where was I…? Ah… right your friend… Dick?"

"Nick."

"Well that's a stupid name! Nick! I'm glad I brained him one! Get him in here!"

"Nicky… he ain't make it boss…" He grew up with Nicolas Pearson, played JV hockey with him, even snuck a few beers behind Kelly's Liquor with him and now thanks to the lunatic in front of him his oldest friend was dead.

"Oh…? Ah well… take splits better three ways anyway…"

"You mean four don't you, Joker?" Two-Face steps from the shadows. He had only narrowly escaped from Batman and Nightwing, thanks in large part to the sheer number of escaped inmates. But he knew that they needed to move quickly if they were going to capitalize on the chaos.

Joker sighs and sits back down in the chair. "Whatever… four, five, fifty… plenty to go around… Say… where are the Salamander, One-eye and Blank shot anyway?"

Two-Face grinds his teeth angrily. "Killer Croc got taken down by the Batbabe and Deadshot and Deathstroke… we have to assume they were captured as well…" They knew to rally here underneath all the commotion. But if Croc was offered up to help them escape and they had, they should've beaten them here.

Shrugging, Joker stands back up. "Not like we really need all that muscle anyway…"

"I'm still not sure if we can trust Nigma on this…" Two-Face considers thoughtfully. "Guys not exactly wound that tight…"

"This coming from the former District Attorney who is now working with guys who he used to try to put in jail…" Joker mutters with a smile. Noticing Dent's scowl he laughs out loud. "Oh lightly up, Harvey! Who among us isn't a little crazy?"

"So what is the pla-"

The question is interrupted by a gun shot. "No interruptions!" Joker screams loudly, pointing the gun directly at Nicky Pearson's former best friend. Both men are surprised that he still lives. "Heh… heheheheheheehe… look at that! You must be good luck there… what's your name sonny?"

"Ca—Carl…" He stutters nervously. The bullet had gotten close enough to him that he felt it whip by his cheek. He'd done some bad things in his life; beaten up on some guys, but until tonight he hadn't been this closely associated with death before. "Carl Caruthers…"

"Well Ca-Carl, we're gonna rob the richest man in Gotham. That's the plan!"

**-Slopes of Mount Olympus-**

"Have I got your attention now, Father?" Ares screams into the night sky with joy, standing over the bleeding form of Heracles. His half-brother was still alive, but he was no longer a threat. The blade was literally throbbing with power, it took all his strength to hold onto the hilt.

At some time during their fight, rain had begun to fall, which meant that there was the occasional thunder booming in the distance. As a child his mother told him to stay clear of his father during times like this, because it meant that he was truly upset.

And therefore more dangerous.

But he knew the truth; the storm was a tactic, not a display of strength. He was weak and trying to cover it up.

That's why when a lightning bolt struck just a few feet away, he was unafraid. Though he is surprised to see who is standing in the midst of the bolt.

"Mother."

"Son."

"He continues to send pawns instead of showing up himself…" Ares snorts casting his eyes up.

"Do you think me a pawn, Ares?" Hera asks with a bit of a menacing tone in her voice.

"Not at all…" Ares answers sheathing his sword and taking a step towards her. "I merely mean that he refuses to show himself.

Hera looks down at Heracles bleeding form and then back to Ares. "Can you blame him? Your actions against your family… where is Hermes?"

Ares shrugs and looks down the mountain. "Wandering the streets, coming to terms with the gift I've given him. The same gift I wish to offer all of Olympus." Something in his tone causes Hera to take a wary step back. "Do you remember what you used to say to me, when I was younger…? 'You may be conflict made flesh, but your flesh is never in conflict.' Took me awhile… but eventually I understood the meaning of your words."

"Oh?" Hera asks interested in his answer.

"Everything I do, whether I realize it or not, has a purpose. So why do you doubt my purpose now? Growth always follows destruction; aren't I simply following the purpose of my birth?"

"By attacking your family?"

With a speed that she never would have thought possible, Ares drives the sword that had seconds ago been sheathed into her midsection. Surprise, gives way to realization and pain. "Urk… cough…"

"You understand now, don't you mother?" Ares asks as Hera falls to the ground. He kneels next to her and notes with amusement the storm has increased in intensity. "The secret that you and father kept from all of us, wasn't the existence of these weapons I wield… but what their true purpose is."

"I- We- didn't… Ares I don't want to-"

"Die?" Ares asks coldly. "Haven't we both watched so many others pass on from this world? What makes us exempt?"

Hera struggles to answer, but the pain she feels overwhelms her senses.

"Father, if they die-"

"How will they learn?" Ares finishes turning to his daughter. "You're right of course…" With a nod, he gives his daughter Lyta permission to heal Hera. Noticing she has dragged two Justice League members up the mountain with her. "How close did they get?"

"Not close enough to stop us." Lyta answers, attending to Hera's wounds. "The one with the ridiculous helmet was a bit of a handful… thankfully Darkseid's technology overcame his artifact…"

"You were fortunate not to encounter his predecessor… he knew the helmet is a scalpel, not a hammer…" Ares waits for his daughter to finish before speaking again. "What do you plan to do?" He was curious to see what she'd learned.

"I will take the woman's place in the League; throw them off our scent…" After mimicking her mother, Zatanna would be no challenge at all.

"And what of Dr. Fate?"

"He's an unpredictable recluse at best… his disappearance will not even cause an eyebrow to rise… I figure your uncle can keep them both company until we've finished…" Lyta opens a boom tube to the Underworld. "I'll be back soon…" She disappears dragging both heroes behind her.

"Do- do you really hate us this much, Ares?" Hera asks as she recovers from her ordeal. "Can't you understand why your father sent her away?"

Ares frowns and helps his mother to her feet. "You think I do this for revenge? No… I am motivated by an even more powerful emotion…"

"Anger?"

"No mother, love."

**-Themyscira-**

Between Superman and Wonder Woman, they managed to put Darkseid on the ropes.

"Give it up, Darkseid!" Superman pants heavily. He was fairly wiped out himself. He hadn't really recovered from the massive Kryptonite poisoning and even at his peak; the lord of Apokolips was a handful. He'd taken the brunt of enough Omega Beams to have nothing but tatters left of his costume. "Your army is defeated and so are you…"

Coughing up and spitting out a glut of dark blood, Darkseid steadies himself against a nearby tree and smiles. "Kryptonian, you have no idea the lengths I'm willing to go to, in order to get what I want." Pulling out a Mother Board he begins laughing.

"What is it?" Wonder Woman asks readying herself.

"You and I may be able to survive in space, Kal-El, but I wonder how your friends will fare?"

Before he can depress the button he is surprised to find it gone.

"Looking for this tall, dark and gruesome?" Flash quips holding the device in his hands. "Hey Supes… man… you look like you've been through a blender on the puree cycle…"

Superman smiles painfully. "You should see the other guy…"

Darkseid's angry roar is stifled by the fist of Wonder Woman and the now conscious Power Girl. The force of the combined blow is enough to render him unconscious as well as split the tree in half.

"Timmmmmberrrrrr!" Flash yells as Darkseid falls flat on his face. To his surprise, Artemis laughs until she sees Hippolyta's face. She then gives a stern glance to Flash. "Right… sorry… can't help myself sometimes…"

"As much as I am grateful for your help today, you must leave the rest to us-"

"No offense Queen," Flash interrupts. "But if you think we're going to leave clean up duty to the few of you still able to stand-!"

Wonder Woman covers Flash's mouth with a firm hand. "My Queen, what he means to say is that, if it is pleasing to you, we would be honored if you allowed us to remain and assist with the recovery efforts." She knew Flash meant well; only Clark had a bigger heart than Wally, but she also knew her mother. If Hippolyta felt for a moment that she was being shown pity or that she appeared weak, she'd refuse any help offered.

Hippolyta looks around at the destruction caused by Darkseid and the Parademons and sighs in defeat. "The fast one- Flash?- may remain. So too may you my daughter but the other two must leave."

"Surely we could he-"

"The last time you were here, many of our sisters, including one of our most beloved died. Your presence will serve as a reminder of that dark day on an even darker one… and you… you may not be the Supergirl that we knew and who served as one of us…"

"But I'm close enough…" Power Girl finishes nodding. "Wonder Woman, Superman and I will take Darkseid with us and check in with Batman… I'm sure he could use some help…" Power Girl lifts the unconscious form of Darkseid from the ground, throwing him unceremoniously over her shoulder.

Diana nods, but Artemis protests. "NO! By Amazonian law, Darkseid is ours to kill!"

Superman crosses his arms sternly. "Then it's a good thing, none of us are Amazons then, isn't it?" Artemis, never afraid of a fight, takes a step forward. Superman wonders briefly if the woman will really attack him just to get to Darkseid.

Hippolyta, sensing a conflict about to erupt, intervenes. "Artemis. We take blood in combat, in war, but we do not execute. Had he fallen in battle it would have been in accordance with our law, but he is no longer a threat."

Artemis opens her mouth to protest, but quickly closes it and turns from the group. "I will check on Tiaria…"

Once she's gone, Flash speaks up. "Not that I agree with the methods of Sheena the She-Devil over there; but what exactly are we going to do with Darkseid? You turn him loose on Apokolips he's just going to heal up and come back here anyway. This time with more troops. He's been looking for this Anti-Life thing for his whole life!"

"We're going to convince him he's been played and set him loose on Ares."

"Man… that plan has Batman written all over it…" Flash quips.

**-Titans Tower-**

"How long you plan on sitting there, Bug Boy?"

"My, my, my, someone is certainly a grumpy Glenda…" Peter was reading Robin's reports on the situation in Gotham when Rose finally awoke.

"You try getting your arm broken by your psychopath father and then talk to me about being all sunshine and lollipops…" Ravage sits up in the bed to look at the worried boy sitting next to her bed. His brown eyes filled with anger over her situation and concern for her. She'd never had someone care about her this much, it was both touching and scary. "Deathstroke?"

"No longer our problem…" Peter answers standing from his seat to pace. He really wanted to kill the man. And if he were to be honest, he still might. "In fact, I dare say he won't be bothering any of us for a long time…"

"Heard you put quite the beating on him…" Rose offers with a slight smirk. It was sweet to think that he had not only come to her rescue but took her pain personally.

"That is what I heard as well…"

Both turn to see Batman standing in the doorway, bruised and bloodied but still exuding the same power and confidence he always did.

"Gotham?" Peter asks warily.

"Remarkably still standing." Batman nods stepping into the room. "Fewer casualties than we first anticipated. Thanks to the combined efforts of you and your Titans' we avoided a catastrophe." The compliment was so rare and genuine, that both Rose and Peter were taken aback. "How are you, Rose?"

"Fine?" Ravage doesn't know what to make of this scene, but it is unnerving for her. None of her encounters with Batman had been exactly warm. Concern was not an emotion he was capable of showing in her mind.

"Good. Spiderman? A word."

Batman leaves the room and Rose breathes a sigh of relief. "Okay, am I the only one who thinks-"

"Yeah… either that was a really bad clone of Batman or things are worse than we thought…" Peter leans in to kiss Rose on the forehead. "Feel better grumpy. Hopefully I'll be back soon…"

Spiderman leaves before Rose can react to the gesture, but she is not alone for long.

"Hello Boobarella…" Rose doesn't need to look up to know that Starfire is in the room.

"Ravage, I am glad you are recovering." Starfire never understood Rose's need to call people names, but she did understand that it was part of who she was. Besides that, Rose has proven herself to be an invaluable teammate.

"Seems my father did one thing right in giving me the ability to heal quickly…" Starfire takes the seat that was just occupied by Peter and looks at Rose. For a moment she just sits in silence. "Spill it, Baywatch."

"You care for him, don't you?" Starfire asks getting right to the point.

"What?" That hadn't been what Rose was expecting.

"I ask because, I too have feelings for him and… well I would not want to cause friction between us…"

"Spiderman is just a teammate and a friend." Rose argues, trying to be convincing. She wasn't sure that was the whole truth, but that was all she was willing to admit to herself.

"Then it will not bother you that we have kissed?" Starfire asks with a small smirk. She suspected that Ravage did indeed have feelings for Peter beyond friendship, but she wasn't going to wait for her to figure them out.

"Of course not!" Rose protests a little too loudly.

"Good." Starfire stands to leave. "I would not want things to become difficult between the three of us. As you say, we are teammates and friends; I would want nothing to affect that."

"No… that would be a shame…" Rose mutters, trying not to think of the circumstances in which Starfire and Peter kissed. Before she can think on it for too long, Starfire wraps her in a careful hug.

"Good! If you need anything at all call me…"

**-Outside Titan's Tower-**

"… caught up with Nigma on the east side of town, everyone's accounted for except Two-Face and Joker…"

"Still don't know how he recovered so fast…" Peter offers after hearing Batman's update. Things had been bad, but not as bad as they could have been. But with Joker and Two-Face still out there, possibly working together, the work was nowhere near finished. "I can be back in Gotham, help Dick with the search…"

"Thought you were quitting…?" Batman asks with a small trace of amusement.

"I was angry…"

"Tim told me what he did… though I don't agree with his methods…"

"You agree with his intent." Spiderman finishes somewhat irritated.

"Your mask not only keeps you safe, but everyone in connection with you." Batman answers. "How long would it take a moderately intelligent person to make the connection between the two of us with just your name?"

"No one told you to make me your long lost cousin!" Peter whispers harshly.

"It was the easiest way to make sense of your sudden appearance." Batman offers facing Peter. "And you're the one who wanted in on this life, remember? But being a crime-fighter, putting on the cowl doesn't mean you get to disregard the law when it suits you. In fact, it's our respect for the law which drives us. Our desire for right mustn't be obscured by our personal desires…"

"Not talking about me keeping a lid on the 'ol secret identity anymore, are we?"

"Yes and no." Batman folds his arms over his chest. "You almost killed him."

"Key word being almost." Peter argues.

"Yes, this time someone kept you from delivering the final blow. But what happens the next time?" Batman watches Peter closely to see his reaction.

"You mean the next time some bad guy nearly kills someone I care for? Tell me you didn't nearly let Joker die over Diana?" And if he had Peter wouldn't have said one word about it.

"Why do you think I can talk to you about not crossing the line in the first place?" Batman counters. "It's because I've found myself ready to cross it more than once in the past. And you know what stopped me?"

"I guess it wasn't a busty alien superhero?" Peter jokes dryly.

"It was the idea," Batman continues, ignoring Peter's attempt at humor. "That once I crossed the line once, the next time, it would easier and easier. Until, someone, someone like you, would be forced to take me down themselves…"

Batman allows that thought to linger in the air for a moment before continuing. "I don't want to lecture, I'm not even sure if I would have applauded or disciplined you if you killed Slade… but if you're ever in a position where that line is in front of you again… I want you to remember one thing."

"What's that?"

"The reason why we do what we do. Why we use our time and energy to risk our lives for others, is because we are not them. The second we forget that… all the good we've done and will do… mean nothing."

_**A/N: I'll do my best not to keep you waiting so long between chapters! I promise! Next up: Joker and Two-Face meet up with some unexpected resistance. Spiderman's in a love triangle. Batman takes a vacation? And a new king takes the throne!**_


	23. The Island and it's secrets

_**A/N: It's been a loooooong wait! I apologize for the lag. I've seen all the reviews and messages about this story and they have keep me motivated to continue hopefully this will be worth the wait! Thank you for all the support!**_

**-Wayne Manor-**

"It's really not that strange…"

"Sure it is, you just don't see it. You, me, here… together…?"

"Well anything is strange if you say it like that. '_**Pizza, sauce, Pepperoni… together**_…?' See?" Despite his protest, Dick does see Barbara's point. They managed eventually to develop a friendship after their romantic entanglement, but it was a friendship based on them never being alone together. Especially not out of uniform.

"Nice try, Grayson, but you know I'm right." Barbara sits back and sips the herbal tea Alfred made her. Barbara has been recovering from her encounter with Deadshot and Killer Croc and Dick has been at her side since. The Titans' were on their way to their HQ when Nightwing intercepted them and brought her back to the Batcave. After tending to her injuries, something she could have and has done herself, he set her up in one of the spare rooms. Now he supplanted Alfred in the kitchen and was making her breakfast. Of course she refused to stay in bed and be waited on, so she staked out a spot on the couch in the seldom used living room. "You don't really need to stay… I mean… Alfred's here… and really I'm just a little nicked up…"

"You really know how to make a guy welcome Babs!" Dick says laughing, from the kitchen. He'd seen her hurt before, it was an occupational hazard, but given all that has been going on recently, he was concerned about her. Things were escalating and if what happened to Diana wasn't proof of that, Arkham certainly was.

"Don't be a jerk, Dick!" Barbara protests. It always infuriated her when he pretended to be ignorant. He was one of the most insightful men she knew, so she knew he realized how awkward this would be for her. "You know what happened the last time you and I were alone in Wayne Manor…"

"I know Bruce wouldn't look me in the eye for a month after he walked in on us…" Dick walks in with a veggie omelet on a plate and hands it to her. After sitting next to her carefully, he takes a sip of some of Bruce's Peruvian blend. "But I get it okay? I don't plan on staying here all day; I've still got some leads I have to follow up on from the Arkham fallout..."

**-Iron Heights Prison, earlier-**

With Arkham destroyed, Iron Heights and Blackgate were the last two places equipped to house the escapees. Strangely enough, not every prisoner at Arkham fled the scene.

"I would have thought that I would be spending most of the night hunting you down, Ivy."

"Something I'm sure you would have enjoyed," Ivy muses, crossing her legs gracefully. She was one of the few that didn't immediately run for the hills once her cell was opened. In fact she sat calmly on her bed waiting for Gotham PD to arrive. Once they did, they were surprised to see her and even more surprised at how little resistance she put up.

"It makes sense though, that you didn't run I mean…" Nightwing offers standing in front of the villain with his arms folded. When Gordon radioed Batman that Ivy was among those recovered by Gotham's finest, both men were intrigued. But Batman knew Ivy was unlikely to cooperate with him, given their history. Nightwing however, always had a more amicable relationship with the former botanist. As amicable as one could be with the criminally insane, that is.

"Do tell," Ivy smiles leaning forward in her shackles, causing the guard to stiffen in anticipation. "Thrill me with your acumen."

Nightwing returns her smile, and turns to the guard."Give us a moment, Hal?"

Hal had been working here long enough that when one of the men in tights made a request it was best to just comply. Despite how he may have felt leaving the two of them alone; he leaves the room with a nod and positions himself outside.

"Don't get my hopes up, Nightwing, I don't like to be teased…" Ivy flirts licking her lips. Batman and the man before her had been the only men with the strength to resist her manipulations. It both infuriated and enticed her.

"You prefer to do the teasing?" He posed it as a question, but it was a statement of fact. In some of his weaker moments Ivy had managed to pop up in some very explicit dreams of his youth. "But to my point; you know what all of this is about. It's why you didn't bother trying to escape with the others."

"Oh?" Ivy smirks, wondering just what he knew.

"You've always had your own agenda." Dick continues. "You only partnered up with Joker to begin with to get access to his resources. You knew that whoever was backing his play was someone who had aspirations beyond robbing banks." The ingenuity of hiring Hiro to develop the duplicates, the complicated heists, Joker was a pawn in this, nothing more.

"That much is obvious, but go on." Ivy leans back in her seat waiting. It was Harley, not Joker that approached her with the prospect of escape. Had it been otherwise, Ivy would have likely refused.

"The Charity Ball was your trial run. You wanted to come up with a formula stronger than just persuasion. You wanted people to retain their free will but be forced to comply. And Ares and Lyta stepped right in with the answer didn't they? The results were better than you hoped, so you robbed Wayne Pharmaceuticals for materials to mass produce your concoction."

"Concoction is such an ugly term…" She spat, insulted. The formula was the most incredibly complicated serum she had ever created. She couldn't be more proud of the accomplishment then if it were her own child. Because, unlike offspring, this would be everything she hoped it would and more. Ares may have shown her the way, but she was the one who made the formula a reality.

Ignoring her protest, he continues. "You knew that whole incident would be forgotten given the fallout of what came next. For Joker, it was chaos for the sake of being chaotic; he doesn't need a reason to hurt, just opportunity. But you, you've never been about hurting people, have you Ivy?"

That simple truth shook her for a moment. She hated being involved in any way with Joker, especially given his treatment of Harley. "… are you going to be arriving at a point sometime soon?"

"You used Joker and his benefactors long enough to complete your own designs. You didn't expect Batman and Talia to catch up to you so quickly, but you planned for that. You could afford to be captured again. Of course the explosion was problematic for you. You couldn't leave all your work behind in the Arkham evidence lockup and no one was going to help you carry it out of there. You weighed your options and decided that wherever they took you, they were bound to take all the evidence with them."

"You're making me out to be some sort of diabolical mastermind…" Ivy chuckles.

"Mastermind? No. But you are an opportunist. With the city's law enforcement struggling to keep Gotham from devouring itself, you could take your time figuring out who the bent screws are around here and experience has taught you there was always more than one. A couple of guards who'd salivate at the prospect of making a few extra dollars would suit your purposes. Once you got out with your serum, found yourself a solid delivery system, like say Metropolis, you would be sitting pretty. Well I should say you would've been until thirty minutes ago…" The smile quickly fades from Ivy's face and Dick chuckles softly. "Yeah, the second I checked in, I had them destroy it."

Ivy lunges against her shackles, disappointed that Nightwing doesn't flinch.

"I guess the model prisoner act is done now?" Nightwing states firmly pushing Ivy back into her seat. "So let's talk deal."

"Deal?" Ivy snarls turning away from him. "There's nothing you can offer me and there's no way in hell I'll help you!" She couldn't believe that it was gone.

"Yeah, well… you say that…"

**-Wayne Manor, now-**

"Need some back up?" Barbara asks enthusiastically, sitting up quickly and covering the grimace on her face with a mouthful of food. It doesn't go unnoticed by Dick.

"Yes I do." Nightwing stands up, kissing her on the forehead tenderly. "That's why _**Huntress**_ is gonna back me up."

"Back it up on you, is more like it…" Barbara mutters. The Gotham Gazette did a feature on the vigilante pair, showing exclusive photos of their "crime-fighting" exploits. Black Canary even showed her a YouTube video of the two of them that was just barely legal.

"If I didn't know any better- and for the record _**I do**_ know better- I'd say you sound a little jealous…" Dick smirks before catching a couch pillow in the face for his trouble. She groans with the effort, pulling on her obviously sore ribs.

"If I determine that you are undermining Miss Gordon's recovery, you will be leaving sooner rather than later." Alfred has spent the better part of the last decade, caring for and patching up the residents of this home so he takes his duties very seriously.

"Come on Alfred!" Dick groans. "She's the one who threw the pillow in the first place!"

"Provoked by you, no doubt… Now, didn't you mention you had some leads to follow up on? Perhaps some time on the Cave computers will yield more positive results?" Dick knew Alfred well enough to know that this wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand.

"You know," Dick finishes off his coffee. "If you guys aren't careful, you're gonna lose me…" He knew that Barbara was in good hands, but seeing her like this was stirring up some old feelings. He supposed it would always be that way between them.

"Promise?" Barbara teases. She felt a mixture of relief and disappointment that he was leaving. She knew that nothing would ever happen between them again, but that didn't stop her from thinking about it from time to time.

"I'm gonna head down to the cave, not because you say so Alfred, but because I do have some work to do…" Dick turns towards the clock in the center of the room and activates the switch to the cave. "Seriously though, Babs, if you need anything…"

"Yes! Will you go already?" Once Dick leaves, Barbara finds Alfred staring at her with a smile. "What?"

"It warms my heart to see him so concerned and to see _**you**_ being the object of his concern." Alfred had been around for both the beginnings of their romantic relationship and the end. The end had been painfully awkward and was one of the factors that lead Dick to leaving and taking up residence in Bludhaven. To see them on such good terms now was encouraging.

"So you're saying I should get hurt more often…?" Barbara teases as she takes a bite of her omelet. Dick was a lot of things, but a good cook he was not. Alfred winks at her before taking the plate away and replacing it with a breakfast he'd prepared.

"That is not something any of us would be an advocate of."

"Great. Gangs all here to fawn over poor Batgirl…"

"For the record, I do live here…" Bruce chuckles toweling off his damp hair coming up through the same entrance Dick just used. He had every intention of getting an hour or so of sleep but he wanted to check on Barbara first. There had been way too many close calls of late for his taste.

**-Batwing, before-**

"… didn't think we'd be needing those shackles you and Mister Miracle created so soon, but I'm glad you whipped them up."

Batman nods as Superman continues to give his report from the incident on Themyscira. He wished he could have been there to help, but he was glad that Superman and the others had managed to subdue Darkseid. Although the victory came with a cost. "How many Amazons?"

"Darkseid brought a legion of his Parademons with him, but the Amazon's managed to repel them all… they… fought bravely…" The discomfort in Superman's voice is only enhanced by his anger. He wanted more than a piece of Ares for setting this whole thing in motion. "How are things on your end?"

"Everyone but a few accounted for… the emergency rooms of Gotham are filled with the injured, but no deaths so far." Batman removes his cowl and rubs his eyes. He was exhausted, but that was probably Ares' plan. For the last few weeks they went from one crisis to the next with no end in sight. He didn't have the time to really dig into Ares like he needed to; he could only hope that Fate and Zatanna came back with something good. "What do you plan to do with Darkseid?"

"Convince him never to return." Superman states simply.

"And how do you plan on managing that?" Batman asks with a small smirk. "Intimidation has never been your strong suit, Superman."

"I think I've had a pretty good teacher," Superman offers with a smile of his own. "Besides, what he's after isn't here. Once I convince him he's been duped –again- it's unlikely we'll have much more trouble out of him." He wished there was a more permanent solution to Darkseid; something to keep from ever setting foot on earth again. Plans were in the works for it; but not soon enough for his tastes.

"I'm surprised the Amazons let you take him." Given the damage he caused this time and the last, he would have expected nothing less than a straight execution. Try as he might, Batman couldn't see the downside of such an occurrence.

"It wasn't their first choice," Superman admits. "And if he does wander into their land again, I doubt I'll be able to persuade them."

"Where will this… _**discussion**_ take place?" Batman asks curiously. "You cannot take him back to the Watchtower…"

"I have someplace in mind…" Superman responds, looking over his shoulder. "I think he's waking up. I'll keep you posted." The video screen turns off and Batman switches the autopilot off.

"You don't look like you just got good news." Peter speaks for the first time since strapping in. He'd been wrapped in his own thoughts until Superman called in. He'd been going over the fever dream again and again, trying to make sense of what he saw. He couldn't shake the feeling that what he imagined was more real than simply an illusion. If the Scarecrow's latest batch of fear toxin managed to tap into a part of his mind that up until now had been closed off to him, he wondered what more he could learn.

Batman ignores Peter and types in a few commands on the console in front of him. The video screen pops up again, this time to reveal the solemn face of J'onn, the Martian Manhunter.

"Batman."

"Has Zatanna or Dr. Fate reported in to you yet, J'onn?"

"No. And I haven't been able to raise either of them on the con." Silence reigns in the cockpit as Batman considers this information. Mystics were unpredictable at best, unreliable in his opinion, but Zatanna and Fate were an exception. "Do you wish me to…?"

"No." Batman knew he was offering to telepathically search for them, but he also knew he was taxed from coordinating all of the efforts in Gotham. "I have another way of contacting Zatanna… what's the status on Lantern and Atom?"

"Terrible patients as you might expect, but recovering. Tornado is on the mend too… though it will be a while before he feels up to duty…"

Having someone wind you up to hurt your friends would take a toll on anyone. "I'll report back in when I have a line on our missing mystics…" Batman shuts off the communication and turns to see Peter stifling a chuckle. "What?"

"_**Missing Mystics**_… Please don't try to tell me you don't see how that's funny…"

**-Wayne Manor, now-**

"And what's your excuse…?"

"I get all my mail and free meals here…" Peter answers from his position on the ceiling. Both Alfred and Barbara sigh audibly.

"Must you, Master Peter?" Alfred asks annoyed. The young man had developed an aggravating habit of walking on the ceiling. Tracking dirt in places Alfred was unaccustomed to cleaning.

"Sorry Alfie," Peter announces leaping down from the ceiling. "How's my favorite Commissioners' daughter?"

"She's wondering if you would be asking that question if I had a penis …"

"Well to tell you the truth, I would, but it would be _**after**_ I asked how you managed such a great set of legs…" Peter quips, stealing a piece of bacon from her plate. "Maybe as a follow up I'd also inquire about your larger than normal-"

"Careful there Bug boy…" Barbara interrupts blushing. "Why don't you fill me in on what happened with Slade? Heard you took him and Deadshot down single-handedly. Wanna tell me how you managed that?"

Barbara notes that Peter and Bruce share a disturbing look before Peter shrugs. "Luck?"

"Okay… pretending for a moment I believe you, how's Rose?" After seeing him lose control with Croc, she had an idea of how things may have gone with Deathstroke. Slade may be one of the most dangerous men she'd ever faced, but with Peter's abilities and his training it was obvious even he would be outmatched. And judging by the look Bruce just gave him; Peter must have come dangerously close to crossing the line. Just as they all had at some point.

"Like you, a little bruised up, but she'll be on her feet soon…" Peter answers smiling a bit. "And hey, we all know you're the toughest thing on high heels, but that doesn't mean we can't worry."

Barbara playfully slaps Peter's hand as he reaches for another piece of bacon. "If you want to worry about something, worry about keeping that hand…"

Peter laughs and rubs his hand. "Jeez, _**someone**_ was never taught how to share!"

**-Themyscira, beach-**

"Artemis! I need a little help over here!"

Artemis and Flash set up a triage unit using the equipment from the plane. The combination of Flash's speed and Artemis' strength made the work quick, if not enjoyable. Those that didn't need immediate treatment were put to work and while the Amazons were not comfortable following the orders of a man, they didn't dare defy Artemis.

"I am on my way Flash!" Artemis yells from across the open area they set up to treat the wounded. She was just finishing up stiches on a very nasty gash. The woman had lost a lot of blood, but thanks to the Justice League's equipment she stood a good chance of recovering.

"Why do you let him speak to you like that, Artemis?" An amazon named Keera asks, while she wipes the brow of her wounded comrade. "He is just a man. A mortal one at that!"

Artemis whirls and faces Keera, pulling her close. "That, _**man**_, as you call him, risked his life for mine multiple times. And he is the reason you are able to breathe your insults. Have care how you speak!" Artemis whispers harshly, before jogging over to Flash.

"Help me set this bone." Flash asks without looking up. He heard her defend him, but knew better than to thank her. He had no doubt she would take offense to the notion of gratitude given the situation.

Artemis helps Flash hold down Dimitra as they twist her leg back into place. Dimitra is so weak she only manages a low groan as the leg is reset. "We'll need a cast…"

"Got it." Flash announces, producing a small aerosol can. He sprays the leg thoroughly with white foam.

Artemis looks on in amazement as the foam hardens. "There are a great many wonders in your world…" Hippolyta has always spoken of the outside world as a place full of violence and ruin, but could that truly be all there was?

"And a great many terrible things as well…" Hippolyta interrupts coming upon the two. Artemis bows respectfully while Flash nods. "How are things coming?"

"With Flash's help we've managed to save quite a few lives." Artemis answers with a look of pride. A look she quickly hides when she notes Hippolyta disapproval. In her eyes, the Justice League was as much the cause of their problems as they were the solution.

"Indeed." Hippolyta looks at the speedster move between the injured curiously. She hadn't expected him to stay and assist and was even more surprised at how useful he turned out to be. In her experience, males were more committed to destruction than to healing. "Flash?"

"Yes?" Flash sprints back over to the two of them.

"Surely that mask is uncomfortable in this heat. If you are worried over your appearance, my subjects have stared into the faces of ogres without pause… we will be respectful regardless of how you look…" Hippolyta quips in mild amusement.

Flash frowns. "I don't think I've ever been more politely insulted… Your majesty, we in man's world have these things called secret identities. You know my real name is not Flash, right?"

"And you know, _**Flash**_ that regardless of who you are under that mask, none of us plan on reporting your identity to the poperratsos… or whatever…" Artemis smirks.

"It's Paparazzi, but yeah I guess you're right…" Flash peels the mask off his face and runs a hand through his sandy brown hair. Hippolyta was right; he was sweltering under his mask. "You're right that's much- Artemis?"

Hippolyta looks over at Artemis' face and recognizes the look immediately, even if Flash did not. She'd seen it before. "Perhaps you could bring some more water from the spring…?"

"Uh… sure…" Flash replies confused. "Guess in the gruesome department I've got the ogres beat…" Before Artemis can reply he speeds away.

"He thinks you find him hideous but that's not the case is it, Artemis?"

"My queen…?" Artemis had not been prepared for his soft brown hair, his deep blue eyes, or his chiseled features. Now, flustered as she was, she was even less prepared for her queens' question.

"There was someone… before your time on the island… who stirred similar longings within me." Hippolyta admits, with a sad smile. "But trust me; if you start down that path, it always ends the same…" Hippolyta walks away, leaving Artemis to her own thoughts.

Diana particularly enjoyed pitching the bodies of the Parademons into the fiery abyss of the volcano, but she would have enjoyed it more if they had still been alive. Her sisters fought valiantly against overwhelming numbers a fact backed up by those who survived the attack.

"It is a good thing that you arrived when you did…"

Diana tosses the last dead body into the volcanic maw before floating down to her mother. "I was quite sure you would say that it would have been better if I never left."

Hippolyta frowns and takes her daughters hand. The daughter she prayed for night after night for so long. "Am I so evil in your mind that you expect me to attack you at every possible opportunity?" Diana drops her eyes to the ground and Hippolyta lifts her gaze up. "Of course I would rather have you here, what mother would not? But I have long come to terms with your choices, even if I do not agree with them."

"Perhaps I no longer agree with them either…" Diana mutters ruefully.

Hippolyta nods, realizing how difficult the last few days had been for her daughter. Her blood still boiled over the villains' actions. Death was too good for one such as him. "You would be welcomed back."

"Truly?" Diana asks crossing her arms. She had always hoped for reconciliation, but didn't dream it would come so easy. "I've violated Amazonian law; multiple times. Would you welcome me back only to imprison me?"

Knowing her daughter is not being serious, she smiles. "Yes, but your sentence could be commuted due to good behavior…"

This time both women smile genuinely and mother hugs daughter. Hippolyta is surprised by the dampness she feels against her cheek. "Daughter…?"

**-Wayne Manor, later-**

"So… you've been giving me the silent treatment since we got back…"

Bruce managed to get in a solid two hours of sleep before he heard Peter pacing outside of his room. When he got out of bed and headed down to the Batcave, Peter followed him in silence. It wasn't until Bruce began to get dressed in a fresh uniform that Peter even spoke. He was surprised the young man held out this long. "I haven't."

Peter groans in frustration. "Come on man! I-" The look of irritation on Bruce face gives Peter pause. "I mean-"

"Peter," Bruce finishes locking in his gauntlets before standing in front of Peter. "What happened with Slade… though I may be disappointed, I understand. If it seems like I've been angry with you, that's not the case. If anything, I'm angry with myself."

Peter thought he could guess where this was going. "If you're thinking about grounding me-"

"I didn't take the time to really investigate where you came from and why you can't remember your past." Bruce admits. His encounters with Spectre seem to suggest something important, but so far he hadn't been able to uncover a reason for Peter being here.

Peter shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant. "It's not as if things have been exactly peaceful and serene since I've been here." Peter remembered well Bruce's promise, but he also knew that they had been thrown into one crisis after another.

Bruce shakes his head. "No excuse. You are burdened with amazing abilities that you don't fully understand. With snippets of a life that feels less real each time you attempt to grab a hold of it. I didn't prepare you for the difficulties in living this life. Especially without the foundation of a past."

"How could you have?" Peter argues desperately. "There's no handbook or manual for _**caring for your teenage metahuman amnesia sufferer**_; although given the number of times people have lost their memories around here, there should be…"

Bruce smiles at Peter's attempt to lighten the mood, but he had made up his mind about this already. "I know more than anyone how a person's past can shape them in ways they may never fully understand. I also knew that the stress of the life I live could eventually force elements of your past to manifest in ways you wouldn't be prepared to handle, but I reasoned that it was more important for you to learn control. To ignore what you don't have and focus on what you do-"

"What's wrong with that?" Peter interjects. "Every time I've tried to look into who I was, or try to remember I just end up more and more frustrated… more-"

"Angry." Bruce finishes with a knowing nod, because that was the point. The one thing all the really powerful superheroes have in common is control over their emotions. If they lose that control, people die; it's as simple as that. And by training Peter, he not only made him more dangerous, he made him nearly unstoppable. With his senses, speed and strength, he could be more deadly than ten Darkseid's. "And I gave you a channel for that anger, but I know better than to only treat the symptoms. What I've given you, is a temporary solution at best."

"It still sounds like you're telling me that I can't be Spiderman any more…" Peter grumbles. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he was telling the very same man he was done being Spiderman. Because now, faced with the very real possibility, he could not imagine giving up what he has become.

"I'm telling you can't be _**just**_ Spiderman any more. Peter needs equal time on the surface." Internally, Bruce couldn't help but smile at his statement. It was the very same advice that Alfred gave him so many years ago, when he spent his days sleeping and his nights fighting crime. If Alfred hadn't been there to force a balance, he would have likely burned out years ago.

"That's rich, coming from you!" Peter lashes out angrily. "Bruce Wayne is just the mask you wear at board meetings and charity events; _**you are Batman**_! How can you tell me to be any different?"

Bruce slides the cowl over his face before responding. "I'm headed to Themyscira. I could make sure that you are unable to disobey my orders, but I want you to realize that I'm right and that you need to take more of an active interest in who you were. So you can become who you're supposed to be." He stands in front of Peter watching him closely to see if any of what he said is getting through.

"I don't even know where to start…" Peter admits, feeling a bit of hopelessness. He knew better than to assume that he could convince Batman to change his mind. Peter was convinced that the man's brain was a thousand times harder than any natural or unnatural material.

Satisfied his words have struck a chord, Bruce produces a piece of paper from his utility belt. It was an address he managed to get from his initial search of Peter's identity that he had meant to follow up on. With all that has gone on, he hasn't been able to check it out. "Start here." Batman hands Peter a piece of paper and Peter looks up at him with a look of confusion.

"Queens?" I thought you wanted to keep me out of danger?"

"Go in disguise… change your hair, eye color, maybe a pair of glasses and walk around see if anything jars your memory."

"This wouldn't happen to be the same advice you gave Superman on identity concealment?" Batman turns from his ascent up the Batwing steps to give Peter one final look of warning. "Fine! Okay! I get it!"

"Good." Batman enters the plane and maneuvers it out of the cave. Peter watches it leave and then stares at the piece of paper in amusement.

"I get to walk around the only place just as dangerous as Gotham while you visit an island of beautiful warrior women. Yeah, _**that's**_ fair…"

**-Fortress of Solitude-**

"These bonds are impressive… Scott's work?"

"Darkseid. I'm tired of having this conversation with you," Superman begins flatly. "What you do on Apokolips is your own business, but you are not to set foot on this planet. I thought the last time we spoke, that was made clear."

"Someone appears to be dropping the Boy Scout act… finally… Kryptonian's were never known as diplomats, it must be aggravating having to keep up the facade." Darkseid strains against his bonds, only to feel them constrict tighter. His eyes were covered, so risking unleashing his Omega Beams was not an option. There was a good chance the energy would be fed into his bonds and possibly back into his own eyes.

"You should be thankful the act has held up this long." Superman cautions evenly. Even in their most violent confrontations, he still held a great deal of his strength back. It was a fact that few could understand. Under the yellow sun he could crack mountains, snapping the neck of the ruler of Apokolips would not be terribly difficult. "What you are looking for is not on Themyscira, you know that don't you?"

Darkseid smiles and struggles to get to his feet. "Oh, but it is. I have it on good authority-"

"Ares and Lyta tell you that?" Power Girl asks with a laugh. The smile fades from Darkseid's face as she continues. "Oh we know all about your partners in crime. How is it that someone as wise as you proclaim to be, continue to find yourself duped. Orion, Brainiac, now Lyta and Ares. You gave them technology and resources and what did you get in return? Nothing, as usual."

"They wouldn't dare…" Darkseid spats angrily. When they first came to him with the proposition of a partnership, they seemed to have knowledge of things that reinforced the idea they knew the location of what he sought. They knew things he had only recently discovered about the Anti-Life equation.

"Think about it Darkseid." Superman continues, picking up where Power Girl left off. "The Anti-Life equation will grant the user control over the minds and hearts of everyone in the universe. How would that benefit a God of War? Mindless puppets don't exactly have conflicts. And if the equation is as powerful as it is rumored to be, why would they place themselves in a position to be under your thumb? Even if you promised to leave this world alone, why would they believe you?"

"I gave them my word!" Darkseid hadn't meant to let that slip, but the frustration at Superman's words forced it from him. His desire for the equation had blinded him to the simple truth of the situation; if they truly knew where the equation was located, they would have used if for their own purposes. He had assumed that they didn't know how to use it, or were unable to procure it for themselves, but, neither of those reasons stood up. "I will grind their bones in my teeth and paint the walls of my throne room with their entrails!"

In a burst of rage, Darkseid nearly escapes the technology holding him. Thankfully the combination of Scott Free's ingenuity and Batman's resources proved to be up to the task of contain his anger. If just barely. Superman could tell from the readout that the limits were being sorely tested. He needed to wrap this up quickly.

"If you truly want revenge against them, allow us to capture them and turn them over to you." Superman offered. He discussed this gambit with Power Girl and she wasn't in favor of it. Like many others, she wanted to put an end to the possibility of Darkseid being a threat for good. This ploy was only a delaying tactic.

Darkseid snorts derisively. "You must truly believe I am a fool if you think I am going to fall for that! You would never turn your own over to me!"

Superman and Power Girl share a glance that Darkseid could not see. And that was a good thing because he would have known right away just how right he was. Instead, Power Girl speaks up. "They are not our own! One is a warmongering brat posing as a god and the other is a half breed child of immortals. Both have caused us nothing but trouble and we would like nothing better than to be rid of them."

"Then allow me to ferret them out myself." He had rarely been so thoroughly blindsided. He was seething.

"You wouldn't be able to get within a mile of them before every hero in the area descended on you to stop you." Superman announces crossing his arms defiantly. Desaad may be able to produce Parademons at a fast rate, but the Amazons had taken a good number of them off the board. Without that army, Darkseid was still formidable, but less so.

"They would try…" Darkseid smiles confidently. While it was true the Amazons had dealt him an incredible blow, he was prepared scour the earth to find them.

"And if they failed, just who do you think would finish the job?" Superman asks with equal confidence.

Darkseid falls silent. As much as he hated to admit it, the Kryptonian was a match for him in fighting prowess. Given enough time, he could overcome Superman, but there were too many others he would have to contend with first. The sheer numbers would do him in. The amount of resources he would need to conquer this planet effectively was not at his disposal currently. So he had to bide his time. "I have your word that you will turn the two of them over to me?" He knew it was a lie concocted to get him off the planet; he wasn't sure just what they would do if he refused. If they thought he was agreeable, they likely wouldn't give him another thought. Which would leave him time to prepare.

Superman lets out the breath he'd been holding and nods. "Once we have located them we will send them to Apokolips to do with as you please. On the condition you do not return here. Ever. Again."

"It seems you are getting the most out of this deal;" Darkseid chuckles darkly. "You rid yourselves of me and of two enemies who have dealt you a great blow…" If he were anyone else, he might be inclined to believe Kryptonian. But Superman did not share his view of balancing the scales.

"Let's not kid ourselves here, Darkseid. You are in no position to negotiate terms…"

"Perhaps not…" Darkseid rips himself free of the bonds holding him and faces off against Superman. "Then again…"

Superman doesn't flinch even as Darkseid walks over to the two of them. He was confident that if it came to it, he and Power Girl could take him down. After all he was weakened by both the battle and the bonds he just escaped. The amount of energy required to override the circuitry was tremendous. Deep down, he wanted Darkseid to try something. "Have we a deal or not?"

Darkseid sneers before sticking out his hand. "When faced with the alternative, what choice have I?" Superman takes the hand in his grip as Darkseid looks around. "If you don't mind, I prefer to wait in more… comfortable accommodations…" He hated the brightness of Kryptonian architecture. He'd seen it before their civilization collapsed.

Activating the mother box left behind on Themyscira, Superman opens a boom tube to Apokolips. Without another word, Darkseid disappears into the void.

"Man… you even had me convinced, Kal…" Power Girl admits once Darkseid is gone.

"That was the point." Superman crushes the Mother Box in his hands. The last thing he wanted was Darkseid to be able to trace back the coordinates of his fortress and come knocking at his leisure. "Hopefully by the time he realizes we have no intention of turning Lyta and Ares over to him J'onn will have our defense fields in place…"

"Defense fields?"

"A little something Batman and Atom have been working on… it will block unknown energies from penetrating our atmosphere. We've been having too many off world visitors popping in when they please…" After the last visit by Darkseid, Atom and Batman had begun working on several theories about how to disrupt the use of the energy used by the teleportation devices of alien races. Batman believed if they were ever going to be able to effectively protect the earth they needed to be more proactive in their approach. Obviously a remnant of Batman's need to patrol Gotham; he preferred to find crime in progress rather than wait for bad things to happen. Superman had to admit it was a sound strategy.

"Nice. What now?"

Superman wasn't sure. He thought by now he would have heard something from Dr. Fate and Zatanna about Ares. With Gotham settled and Themyscira out of danger, the next thing on the agenda was to stop the one who set all of this in motion. But he had no idea how to go about doing that. "We head back to the 'Tower… for now that's all we can do…"

**-Themyscira, Beach-**

"You have not picked a good time to drop in, Batman."

Batman had expected to be greeted as soon as he landed, he just was unprepared for the scene in front of him. Across the sand he could count at least four dozen injured Amazonians being attended to by the red blur he knew to be Flash. "I understand, your majesty, I came to-"

"Batman? What are you doing here?" Wonder Woman drops from the sky and gracefully lands next to her mother. The expression on her face was one of genuine surprise and part of him was pleased he had managed to surprise her.

"Wonder Woman, I spoke with Superman in regards to the situation here and brought additional supplies to help with the recovery…"

"Perfect timing, Bats!" Flash arrives next to the three of them scattering a bit of sand in his wake. "Mind if I-?"

Before Batman can answer, Flash has most of the supplies unloaded and placed on a table they'd set up.

"We appreciate the gesture, Batman," Hippolyta states with a strained smile. She knew of her daughter's attraction to the man in front of them and considering her daughter's misgivings about returning to man's world, he was the last person she wanted to see. She knew he could convince her to leave the island again. "But you can understand how upsetting the presence of one man can be…"

"Let alone two?" Batman finishes nodding. Truth be told, he could have just as easily sent one of the female Justice Leaguers with the supplies. He considered it, but he was here for more than just relief efforts. There was something that he needed to find out. "I understand your highness…"

Hippolyta nods in relief until she feels her daughters' firm grip on her arm. "Surely mother, you will not simply turn him away after he has come all this way just to aid our people?" Hippolyta looks up into her daughters' warm gaze and is reminded of a time years ago when Diana had pleaded with her for a horse. Diana, never one to do things the easy way, wanted Cobalt, the wildest stallion in the stable. Despite there being several other choices.

"This is that damned horse all over again…" Hippolyta mutters with an angry smirk. A queen should never compromise her laws for her daughter, yet it was something that Hippolyta found herself doing on a fairly regularly basis. If she were to keep to the edicts she wrote, Artemis, Flash, Diana and Batman would all need to be driven from their midst, never allowed to return.

Diana blushes at the memory of Cobalt, the horse that remains in her mother's stables till this day, awaiting her return. He allowed no one else to ride him and only her other had been allowed to tend to his daily needs. "I fail to see the connection…"

"I'm sure…" Hippolyta smirks as Diana lowers her gaze to the ground. She notices that there is mild amusement on Batman's face as he watches the exchange and she clears her throat. "Your… raiment… though necessary in your world, it evokes ideas of dark forces among our people, you'll understand if I ask you remain in the background…?" Hippolyta doesn't wait for an answer, she simply walks away to check on her wounded subjects.

Once out of earshot, Diana turns to Batman and grabs his arm anxiously. "Ares?"

"No word back from Fate or Zatanna yet…" Batman answers shaking his head, leading Diana down the beach.

Diana nods disappointedly. Only Hippolyta and Artemis knew of Ares connection to all that befell them today; her mother decided it would be damaging to their faith if it became known that one of the gods they served had dealt them such a blow. "He must pay for this…"

The steel in her voice reminds Batman of why she is who she is. "He will."

Silence falls in between them as they continue to walk. The silence allows Batman to really take in the lush scenery around him. He'd been to the most lavish and exotic resort locales in the world as Bruce Wayne, but nothing could compare to the spectacularly simple beauty around him. He could see why Hippolyta wanted to keep this land unspoiled. "It is truly breathtaking here…"

Wonder Woman stops and wheels towards her teammate raising a suspicious eyebrow. "You speak as if you have not been on our shores before…"

"My previous visits didn't allow me to…" Batman looks over at Diana as she squats in the sand uncovering a small turtle. "… appreciate the beauty here…"

Feeling his eyes on her, fills her with mixed emotions. He's looked at her this way before; but never openly. She would catch him stealing glances, but now he seemed unconcerned that she knew of his attention. It both exhilarated and frightened her. "Ahem… well…yes… How fares Gotham?" She stands dusting off her hands. She watches the turtle scuttle off towards the ocean, keeping her face hidden.

"Still standing…"Batman answers coming up alongside Wonder Woman. "Out of immediate danger for now, it seems… but there are a few still unaccounted for…"

The firm set of his jaw, told Diana who might be among those few he mentioned, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead she gave voice to another concern. "What of Darkseid?"

A ghost of a smile lights his face as he answers. "Superman believes he has that situation well in hand…"

"Really?" Wonder Woman doesn't bother to hide her disbelief. Clark has never been one to get his hands dirty and violence is the only thing that Darkseid understands.

Batman nods, picking up on her confusion. "I was surprised myself, but let's not forget just how powerful Clark is…"

"Then it would seem that things are well in hand…" Wonder Woman stops along the beach spotting a piece of Apokoliptian armor. Pulling it free, she hurls it into the ocean. "All that's left is Ares…"

Batman notes the tension in her body and knows Diana is upset over more than just Darkseid's invasion. The last few weeks have been more painful for her than anyone else. Which was one of the reasons he left Gotham to come here. "And there is still the matter of the Anti-Life equation…"

Diana turns to Batman confused. "You do not believe it to be here do you? That was simply a ruse to lure Darkseid into a conflict my people!"

Noting her anger, Batman takes another tact. "Do you remember what happened at the charity event Clark and I attended in Gotham?" Diana nods, waiting for him to continue. She looks on with interest, knowing that he will no doubt deliver some nugget of insight. "We chalked that experience up to another distraction; something Ares put in place to keep us looking the wrong way. We were half right."

"What do you mean?" Some of the others would get impatient when Bruce would take his time disseminating all the facts of a situation, she never did. She thought it was simply amazing the way his mind could bring things together.

"It was meant to distract us; it's no coincidence that the attack happened on one of the rare occasions that Superman is away from Metropolis, but it was also a trial run of an even greater threat." Batman removes a readout device from his utility belt and holds it out in front of Diana. "What do you make of this?"

Diana studies the symbols on the display careful, frowning in concentration. "Some sort of equation?"

Batman returns the device to his belt and smiles. "Yes, but you were right to be confused by it. The composition of ingredients listed bear no resemblance to any known combinations."

"And you don't think Ivy is capable of this level of genius, right?" Diana asks picking up on his line of reasoning. "It makes sense that Ares would help her to get us occupied…"

"That's a piece of it," Batman agrees." The other side of it is twofold. First; even the most ingenious breakthroughs in chemistry, have a basis or foundation in something already known. There really is no such thing as a new discovery, there are simply new ways of using old compositions. The second is; the chemical laced in the champagne was not a mind control drug. It overrode our very will to disobey. We were completely aware of what we were doing and utterly unable to comply. Not even a little. It was this fact, which made Darkseid believe that Ares did know of the Anti-Life equation because he had seen elements of it that night."

Diana shakes her head. "No. The Anti-Life equation is supposed to be the death of all life… not some sort of enslavement drug…"

"What is loss of free will, but death Diana? Didn't your own people experience the pain of being under bondage? Don't they describe it as being like death?"

Diana ponders over Batman's words fearfully. If this was in fact true, it would mean that Ares has the ability to enslave the entire human race. But why hasn't he? Diana gives voice to her question.

"Perhaps the chemical portion is only a piece of the equation." Batman speculates. "After all, to deliver something like this on a worldwide scale you'd need a more powerful delivery system. Something more stable… more far reaching…" Clark didn't drink alcohol; it doesn't agree with his Kryptonian physiology. It was the only thing that helped stave off an even bigger disaster. "If this is supposed to be a universal agent, then there would have to be a better way of delivering it."

"And you believe the answer lies somewhere on this island?" Diana understood his line of reasoning, even if she didn't necessarily agree with it. "If that were true, why hasn't Ares come here himself in search of it?"

Batman knew the answer to her question, but was sure she wouldn't like it. Taking a deep breath he turns to face Diana, taking her hands gently. "Ares didn't send Darkseid here to simply keep us off guard; he was sent here to lay waste to your people, to your entire island."

"…No…"

"Think about it Diana; Ares finds out about this Anti-Life equation; he realizes that it's the only way he'd ever have a chance of achieving his ultimate goal. He covets the throne of Zeus but he also wants the loyalty that being king comes with. How does he get both?"

She knew he was pausing to get her to make the connection on her own. "He needs power to unseat Zeus, power that Zeus himself would fear and be unable to stop…"

"So he collects the artifacts; weapons powerful enough to cower gods…"

"But he knows that all the heroes of earth along with all the other gods of Olympus would never allow him to stay in power…"

Batman nods, happy she is beginning to see his reasoning. "So he spins us around like tops. Makes us exhaust ourselves in conflict after conflict while sending Darkseid here, to clear a path to-"

"Get the final piece he needs…" Diana finishes angrily. "Why would they allow something so dangerous to remain here and not tell us…?"

"If you knew you would guard it."

"Exactly!" Diana answers frustrated.

"The world's most amazing treasures are hidden in plain sight. Having sentries protect valuables simply invites thieves to try and steal them. If you don't know it's here, the hope is neither will anyone else. No one will steal it and no one guarding it will attempt to use it…"

Realization sinks in and Diana drops to the sand and sits down. "You must think we're a bunch of fools…" Diana mutters, bitterly. "We blindly serve masters who don't even show us the courtesy befitting a dog. Dogs at least in their loyalty are rewarded with knowing what they are protecting…"

While Batman may not have always agreed with her beliefs, he never thought it was foolish to believe. Some might think it foolish to think one man without any special abilities could fight against the darkness lurking in every corner of Gotham. Who was he to judge? Pulling free of his cowl, he takes a seat next to Diana and turns her face towards hers. "The fools are those up on that mountain who don't value you… and your people…" Batman clears his suddenly dry throat. "At the end of the day, all any of us have is the hope of something better…"

Without realizing it, Diana drifts closer to Batman, noting the scent of his aftershave, blending in perfectly with the smell of ocean and sand. All of a sudden, she's aware that the two of them are very much alone on this part of the island. "Perhaps then…" Diana whispers. "We are all fools…."

Caressing her face tenderly, Bruce smiles lightly. "Of course we are…" Their kiss is light and tentative at first, but as they continue, their passions increase. For Diana the floodgates of months of desire and frustration erupt as she nearly attacks Bruce's mouth. Bruce, the more experienced of the two guides her patiently, helping her enjoy the experience more fully.

Diana's nimble fingers locate the release latch to Batman's chest plate and it hits the sand revealing the Kevlar mesh beneath it. "Must you wear so much clothing…?" Diana asks breathlessly.

"Not all of us have invulnerable skin, Princess…" Batman chuckles at her frustration before planting a soft kiss on her neck.

Before she can feel annoyed over his nickname for her, the ripple of pleasure that runs through her causes her to shudder. She was beginning to understand the conversations she'd overheard on the Watchtower. When Hawkgirl or Black Canary spoke of men, she could never understand their infatuation with them. Why they seemed so enraptured by them. Now understanding dawns upon her. Now she could give voice to all the emotions that had been swirling within her.

She straddles Batman eagerly entwining her fingers in the dark locks of her love. Her excitement steadily increases and she feels her pulse quicken to an unbelievable pace. Pressing her chest firmly to his she can feel his own heart pounding, although it has taken on an unsual rhythm. "What-?"

Batman groans at the interruption, but knows that it is an important one. Only five people have the number to phone vibrating on his waist. Clark, Dick, Alfred, Gordon and- "Zatanna?"

"Are you all right Batman? You sound… off…"

Batman sits up slightly embarrassed, hoping that Diana doesn't notice the growing bulge beneath his waist. Her reddened skin and upward glance ends that hope swiftly. "I'm fine. What have you to report?"

"Fate and I met up with Ares on the slopes of Olympus. He was already engaged in battle with Heracles when we arrived. The three of us held him at bay before Zeus descended from on high and ended the battle."

"Ended it how?" Batman is surprised at this, given that he had not sought to intervene before.

"Stripped the power from the armor and weapons before banishing him to the underworld. Sort of anti-climactic, I know, but… at least the threat is over."

"What of Lyta, Ares' daughter? Was she with him?" None of this made any sense at all to Batman, but he would reserve judgment until he had all the facts.

"No. But Zeus assured us that she would be dealt with. Whatever that means…" Batman could hear Zatanna's own frustration over the matter. "Fate headed back to… well wherever he goes when he's not on the Tower… but I heard about Gotham and was on my way there. You need a hand?"

"No." Batman answers looking at Diana. "You should rejoin J'onn on the Watchtower, see if there's anything you can help with there."

"Right. No Meta's in your city… blah, blah, blah… later." Despite her attempt at levity, Batman is still unnerved by their conversation when he puts the phone away.

"Bad news?" Diana asks curiously. Her lips are still buzzing from his touch and as eager as she is to continue, she knows the mood is lost to them.

"Not at all…" Batman answers standing absently, obviously deep in thought. He should be relieved at Zatanna's news, but he just can't shake the feeling something is amiss. "Apparently Zeus interceded on the behalf of the dogs…" He relates to Wonder Woman all that Zatanna told him while reattaching his chest plate.

"And yet you seem in worse spirits than before…" Diana observes frowning slightly as he returns his cowl to his face, hiding the features she enjoyed looking at.

"The temple that Darkseid was attempting to breach… can you show me where it is?"

**Hall of the Gods**

"If you want this throne, my son, you will need to get through all of us!"

Ares smirks, looking around at his brothers, sisters, cousins, all of whom do not share the same sentiment of his father. They've seen what he was able to do to Heracles and how he cowered the armies of soldiers sent against him; they knew that he was close to an unbeatable foe.

"I didn't think the others are as confident as you are father…"

Zeus glances around at his subjects and notes how astute his observation is. So he tries another tactic. "What will you do once you've claimed your prize Ares? How will it go for you once you're seated here?"

Ares laughs and his sister loses her patience. "Father! Simply remove your blessings from the weapons! Surely there has been enough bloodshed?"

Ares looks at her in disappointment. "All of that "Wisdom" and you haven't figured it out yet? Shall I tell her father?" Zeus looks at Ares in wonder. "Very well then. Dear sister, Zeus didn't create these weapons. The first Zeus did."

All of the assembled stare at Zeus in disbelief hoping that we will stand up and end this but he remains motionless.

"You see…" Ares begins walking amidst his fellow godlings."We're not immortal. Everything that has a beginning has an end. He programmed us to follow in the footsteps of those that came before. Made us puppets in the grand tapestry of lies woven by those who seek to keep us in line." As his rage begins to bubble up Ares begins pacing with his sword drawn. "I've decided before I cut all of you free of the ties that bind you; I'll tell you a story. I will tell you, _**our story**_…"

**-Wayne Manor-**

Barbara, curled up on the sofa in Bruce's sitting room, was beginning to feel sleepy when the doorbell started her awake. Alfred had left to visit Leslie Tompkins at Barbara's insistence, Peter had been gone all afternoon and she had long chased Dick off; which meant she was by herself.

"Please don't let this be one of Bruce's infamous floozies…" Barbara mutters as she gets up to answer the door. The doorbell rings again and again impatiently as Barbara angrily flings it open. "What do you-?"

"And here I thought you domestics were supposed to be all cordial and whatnot? Good help is truly hard to find… maybe could help ol' Moneybags' maidservant learn better manners, eh Harley?"

"You got it Mistah J!"

_**A/N: Lots coming up! Peter's NY Adventure, Joker and Harley meet the commissioners' daughter, Batman and Flash share a unique experience on Themyscira and the origin of Olympus! **_


	24. NY State of Mind

_**A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers and new followers! Hope you continue to enjoy the ride! This chapter has mature content (No the Joker is NOT involved) you have been warned!**_

**-New York City-**

After he arrived at Penn Station he walked to the offices of the Daily Bugle. The kind receptionist, a cute brunette named Betty Brandt, informed him that the offices were closed to the public, but offered him the chance to use one of the kiosk computers. Running a search on his name he found an address for Peter Parker. It came right up.

After months of running searches through the BatCave's computer, a computer that would have made Bill Gates drool like a lovesick teenager, he pulled up everything about himself in about four minutes. He didn't know what disappointed him more; the fact that it had come up so easily or the fact that the information was sparse at best. Apparently, he was unremarkable, despite his current abilities; he found that difficult to process.

He simple was listed as a "missing person" but nothing of note was mentioned about his disappearance.

After printing out his last known address and flirting briefly with the brunette he left the building and began walking towards his destination. He had hoped the streets would feel familiar or that someone would recognize him and yell; "Hey Pete, where ya been buddy?" but New York, much like Gotham was not the place for eye contact with strangers. Everyone he walked past was either glued to their phones or staring blankly forward. By the time he began walking through the surprisingly suburban neighborhood where he reportedly grew up, it was dusk and the fading light gave the whole situation an even more surreal feeling.

He approached the address on his paper and his heart sank. He double checked the adjacent homes and sure enough he was at the right location.

Where his house was supposed be there was roped off, unfinished structure. There was a sign indicating the lot was for sale, but that sign was old and faded at this point. No one had cared to do anything about this location for some time.

"No…" Peter drops to his knees in frustration in front of the chain link fence. He didn't know what he hoped to find here, but it certainly wasn't this. He thought maybe there would be this "May Parker" person who seemed, at least from her photos, to be both warm and nurturing. He didn't take Batman's suggestion to go in disguise in the hopes that this woman upon seeing him would put an end to all the questions he'd been asking about himself. "Of course not, Peter… what about your life, at least what you've known so far, has been easy?" Peter chuckles bitterly and reaches into his backpack to retrieve his gauntlets. He agreed with Alfred that Spiderman showing up in NY was not the best idea, but Alfred didn't say anything about getting in a little web-slinging time.

Clasping both gauntlets to his wrists, he leaps high into the air and begins leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The buildings in the area were not high enough for him to web sling from, but right now the wind on his face was enough to calm his agitated mind. Bounding from roof to roof, he found it funny to think of those in the homes looking up at their ceilings wondering what was going on.

_**Okay so what do I know? I know I am Peter Parker, I know I was raised by my Aunt May Parker. I know I went to school at Midtown High, pretty solid student according to my transcripts and then nothing… so I still don't know how I ended up in Gotham… Don't know how I ended up missing… and the condition of my former home makes me think I didn't leave by choice…**_

Peter leaps high into the air and fires a web to a modest office building across from him. It's only eight stories tall, but it's high enough for him to get a good swing from.

_**In the grand scheme of things what does it matter? I have a life now, good friends, a ridiculously hot alien girl and an equally hot silver haired-**_

Interrupting his thoughts is an explosion over to his right. Without even thinking he changes course to intercept. The city scene below him doesn't feel the least bit familiar, which surprises him. All throughout his time in Gotham there had been moments of Déjà vu; times where a situation or a person reminded him of something else. Now, back in the place where he was supposedly raised, there is nothing. It was as if some outside force was actively blocking all sensory input that wasn't tangible.

Peter arrives just in time to find a villain cloaked in blue electricity floating above an exploded car. Peter takes a position on a nearby rooftop and finds that next to the car there is a struggling body clothed in a uniform similar to Peter's own.

"I feel a little cheated I never got the chance to take out your predecessor; that spider brat was actually a challenge! You just don't make the cut, kiddo!" As he begins to charge a ball of electric energy that feeling of familiarity hits Peter like a truck. He recognizes this being as one of the villains from his Scarecrow induced nightmare. Pulling a spare mask from his bag he swings into action.

"Since you're feeling slighted, I invite you to wait in intensive care for whoever the other guy was to come back. I hear Superhero's all tend to come back eventually…" Peter drives both feet into the chest of the attacker forcing him into a street lamp before he hits the ground. Dropping to the street he checks on the fallen hero. "Up and at 'em sunshine!"

Peter helps the young spider hero to his feet. "…Thanks for the assist… uh… who are you?"

Peter manages to stifle his impulse to inform the young hero he's the real Spiderman and just shrugs. "Just another typical nosy New Yorker. Can you stand?"

Nodding groggily "Spider-Man" shakes his head free of cobwebs. "I'm gonna have to. He's right though, my idol and predecessor would have made short work of Electro…"

"Electro? Ugh… are villains picking names out of a hat or something?" Peter turns as aforementioned Electro picks himself up and takes back to the air. Realizing the odds are stacked against him Electro flees. "Hope you got some web-shooters on you buddy." Peter takes off after him, followed closely by a wary Spider-Man.

"Who are you?" Spider-Man asks keeping pace with Peter easily. "I mean it's obvious you're sort of like me, but as far as I knew, I was the only Spider-Man operating in New York…"

"Dude, can we just beat up the bad guy and dispense with all the standard team up protocol?" Peter wasn't sure why he was so aggravated by the young man next to him. Perhaps it was because of what he represented. If he was the second one to don the webs, who was the first? If this guy really idolized his predecessor and he didn't know who Peter was, what did that mean?

"You'll forgive me if I'm less than eager about teaming up with a guy in a mask who won't even give me a code name to go by…" Spider-Man was just as aggravated by Peter's behavior. While he appreciated the assist with Electro, he didn't like the fact that this guy not only had similar abilities, but seemed even more comfortable web-slinging than he was. "In fact, why don't you leave bald and blue to me and go about your night?"

"Because you were doing such a bang up job before-" Peter stops, realizing what a jerk he's being and sighs. "Sorry. Today hasn't been a great day, but that's not your fault… I'm Spiderman, the Gotham City version… nice ta meetcha!"

In spite of his irritation, Spider-Man chuckles; "Yeah, I've seen you on the news a few times… how do you move in that costume of yours? It's more like… battle armor…" The two swing in unison towards the pier where Electro is leading them.

"It's pretty light weight actually…" Peter answers chuckling at the fact that the heroes' costume provides as much protection as a t-shirt. He couldn't imagine going out to fight crime in a place like Gotham with so little protection. His spider sense could only do so much. "Wait…" Peter grabs Spider-Man's arm and pulls him down to a roof.

"What? Electro is right there!" Spider-Man tugs against Spiderman's grip more than a little surprised that he can't shake free.

"Exactly. So after leading us on this merry chase, why would he stop and basically wait for us to catch up?" Peter asks scanning the area quickly, it felt like a set-up. "Who else does this Electro guy pal around with?"

Picking up on what Peter is getting at, he stops struggling and begins searching around himself. "Lately? Nobody really. Used to run with a crew of baddies who called themselves the Sinister Six, if you can believe it. But the ringleader and a guy with four mechanical arms are both dead, one guy is just an old man with wings and Mysterio (no I am not making this up) is in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody… only one left is… oh crap…"

Peter follows his gaze to see a hulking brute in a grey rhino shaped outfit come into the open. "Lemme guess… Rhino…?"

Spider-Man shrugs and fires a line across the buildings. "Welcome to New York City…"

**Wayne Manor**

Barbara managed to escape Joker and Harley by kicking the former where it would do the most damage and drilling his girlfriend backwards with an overhand right. She ran, albeit painfully deeper into the mansion to the study where the Batcave entrance was, but before she could activate the clock entrance she stopped.

The idea of Joker running loose in the mansion was not ideal. Especially since she had no idea when Alfred would be back. The last thing she wanted was for the man she saw as something of a second father to surprise the Joker while he was looting. Still, she was in no position for a prolonged fight. That kick pulled something on her ribcage that she was sure was muscle and it has been throbbing angrily since. Leading them away from the house was not an option, since they'd evidently came here for a reason. Wayne mansion was so far outside Gotham City limits, that criminals never ventured this far. And despite the media coverage Bruce Wayne got, no one was really sure how to get here to begin with.

If she went into the Batcave and put on her uniform, even a dullard may put together that Barbara Gordon is Batgirl. The next domino to fall would be that if Batgirl was hanging out at Wayne mansion, Bruce Wayne must be Batman. And if Bruce Wayne is Batman, how unlikely is it that Dick Grayson wasn't Nightwing?

She backs away from the entrance and picks up the phone. Barbara wasn't surprised to find the house line dead, but was more than alarmed that her cell phone had no reception. "You gotta be kidding me…" Barbara groans, putting away her cell phone.

"If you're trying to call for help, Barbara dear…" Joker yells from another room, clearly still out of breath, but definitely angry. "Don't. I've made sure that no one will be able to disturb us!" He announces, obviously moving in her direction.

He continues his taunting, but Barbara doesn't hear him, she's busy trying to contact the one person who's always available.

_**Batgirl?**_

_**I'm at… Wayne Manor…**_ She's not sure why she hesitates, she's pretty sure J'onn knows exactly who Batman is. _**I need help… anyone you can send…?**_

There's a brief moment of silence, which Barbara knows to mean that he's trying to contact someone else. She feels like an idiot for sending away Dick so insistently. Although, it wouldn't be the first time her pride caused a rift between the two of them.

_**The Transporters are still down… It may take some time… can you hold on?**_

Barbara grits her teeth angrily. To think she needs back up for Joker and his strumpet was upsetting, but she was honest enough with herself to know that she did. _**Yes, but hurry!**_

J'onn says something encouraging, but Barbara doesn't hear it. She's busy formulating her plan. Then she hears a sound that makes her heart sink.

"Quit fooling around Joker, we're here for the rich boy; the Commissioner's daughter is of no consequence." Even from this distance she recognizes the gravelly voice of Two-Face. She isn't sure how they even found the place, but from the sound of Dent, this was supposed to be a plot involving Bruce Wayne. They'd never tried this tactic before. A simple robbery would make sense, but this felt like more. "Nigma says Wayne has some sort of connection with the Bat and we're here to squeeze what he knows out of his pampered ass; not bring the heat of Gotham PD down on us but screwing with Gordon's kid…"

"Sez you Harvey, but I don't agree…" Barbara hears Joker's protest and hopes maybe the two of them will take each other out and save her the trouble. Joker and Harley were one thing, but Two-Face, Joker and Harley were another altogether. "Aren't you supposed to flip a coin or something when it comes to stuff like this…?"

The silence that follows, tells Barbara that Two-Face may be thinking of doing just that. She wonders though, what makes The Riddler sure that Batman and Bruce Wayne are connected? Even her own father hadn't seemed to piece that one together yet.

"Awright then clown; tails I kill you, heads we hunt down Gordon's brat… and then I kill you…"

"Oh goody!" Joker claps in delight. "Either way I win!"

Barbara wishes that was just the insanity talking. But according to Wonder Woman Joker has recently been seemingly killed and brutally injured, but looks as full of vigor as ever. Diana mentioned something about some mark on Joker that allowed him to circumvent death, but she didn't fully understand it all.

"Heads." Two-Face grunts, almost sounding disappointed.

"Olly, Olly Oxen free!"

**-New York City, Docks-**

Fighting alongside this "Spider-Man" was a unique experience for Peter.

In his short time as a crime-fighter he's fought along some of the most gifted fighters in the world and he found that each individual was different. But even in their differences there were similarities. Fighting with his New York counterpart, Peter finds, is fun.

Despite the hero obviously having no formal training, the two are in synch. In a way that Peter has never seen before. Spider-Man intuitively made moves that were in harmony with Peter's own.

When Peter webs Rhino, Spider-Man jumps in and delivers a punch to behemoth's face. When Electro fires a blast of energy at him, Peter twists at the right moment to force Rhino to take the brunt of the blast just as Spider-Man bounds away from Rhino. Spider-Man slings a large crate at Rhino, staggering him, while Peter, jumps in again to throw Rhino into a sleeper hold.

While Rhino flails wildly to get free, Spider-man maneuvers Electro into one of the massive man's fists. Peter lets go of Rhino an instant before contact is made and then, using his impact webbing, sticks the two of them together.

The completed circuit causes Rhino's suit to short out while Electro passes out from the strain. Standing over the now defeated duo are two men of the Spider, barely out of breath.

"Nice work, Gotham City."

"Not too bad yourself N.Y.!" Peter holds his hand up for a high five, which Spider-Man eagerly gives.

"So I leave the universe for a few weeks and I come back to find you've replaced me?"

"Spider-Woman!" Spider-Man turns to the female squatting atop a light post. "It's not what it looks like!"

"So I didn't just stumble on two guys reenacting the last scene from Top Gun in a ridiculously dorky manner?"

"Spider-Man, you can be my wingman anytime!" Peter's joke falls on deaf ears because the young hero he just partnered with has bounded up to the light post and has swallowed Spider-Woman up in a hug.

"We thought… I mean we all assumed…"

Spider-Woman accepts the hug, but hasn't taken her eyes off of Peter. "Who's your friend in the ski-mask?"

Spider-Man turns back to Peter slightly embarrassed. "This guy is Spiderman- well I mean- at least in Gotham City he is- you see after you left-"

"I get it, rook, no need to spell it out for me…" Spider-Woman interrupts dropping down to the ground to take in Peter. "Something told me to trademark the name, but there's so much paperwork to sign… Ah well… I've no one to blame but myself… nice to meet you…"

Peter takes her hand and stares down at her. "How old are you?"

"Old enough to know that you never ask a woman that question." Although her mask hides her face, her annoyance in easy enough to read by her body language. "I appreciate your assist with Tweedle-Dumb and Tweedle-Dumber here, but we've got this wrapped up. Why don't you head home?"

She turns from Peter, but he reaches out to stop her. Before he can grab her arm, she grabs his wrist and flings him to the ground. Before she can drive her knee into his neck, he rolls to the side and is on his feet in a second. The whole exchange last three seconds.

"Someone has obviously had some training that extends beyond women's self-defense classes…"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't let super powered people on the street without training." Spider-Woman answers without dropping her guard. "You wanna find out how extensive that training is?"

Peter, both impressed and amused, holds his hands up in surrender. "I'd prefer the chance to talk…"

Sirens in the distance cause all three to look back at the unconscious villains. "Fine. But not here. I haven't had a cheeseburger in what feels like years." Without another word Spider-Woman leaps into the air and swings away.

Peter, watching her tight form in her even tighter costume, wonders if she's ever had a cheeseburger in her life. Spider-Man notes his gaze and claps Peter on the shoulder. "Forget it bro, she's a one man kinda girl…" Spider-Man leaps into the air to follow her.

"That man you?" Peter asks taking to the air after him.

"I wish…"

**-Rooftop above, Harold's Diner-**

"You weren't kidding about the burgers…" Peter murmurs delighted. He's had good burgers before, but this one seemed to melt in his hands it was so juicy and tender. He wished he could remove his mask so he could really enjoy it, but both his companions had opted to simply pull their masks above their noses. He wasn't going to be the first to take of his mask.

"I never kid about burgers or inter-planetary conflicts…" Spider-Woman quips, polishing off her second burger. While they were eating, she informed them both of the events that had taken her way the past four months.

Apparently a being by the name of Thanos, had decided to pull several heroes into his dimension and recruit them to his army. Unlike before where he used manipulation and mind control to accomplish what he wanted; he appealed to their sense of self preservation. His enemy, Anihillus was even more determined to end all life than Thanos himself. That, coupled with the fact that the devil you know is often better than the one you don't, compelled the heroes to assist him.

Once the conflict was resolved, Thanos tried to turn on his temporary allies, but with the help of Thor and the Hulk, they managed to send him into the heart of a dying star. No one knows if he survived or not, but Thor's father Odin sent them all home just the same.

After she finished her story, Spider-Man filled her in on what had gone on after she left. She was obviously impressed with the fact that he had defended the city so admirably in his absence.

"Which brings us to you, new guy…"Spider-Woman tosses her trash down into the dumpster several stories below them. "Why are you in New York City? Not enough crime in Gotham?"

"We've got plenty, trust me…" He ponders over filling them in on his own ongoing crisis with Ares, but decides against it. "Actually… I'm here looking for someone… do either of you know a kid named Peter Parker?"

In an instant, Spider-Woman is on top Peter, grabbing him by the collar. If not for his own durability and agility, she would have put him through the stone column he was leaning against. Instead he manages to grab her wrists before she can do any real damage.

"Jeez lady! Calm down!" She's nearly as strong as Peter, but he is able to keep her back.

Spider-Man intercedes, standing between the two of them while glaring at Peter as much as his mask will allow. "Why are you asking about him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Spider-Woman yells still reaching for Peter. "He works for Osborne!"

"Osborne is gone and you know it!" Spider-Man reasons with her, trying to keep her back. "Besides, why would one of Osborne's cronies help me beat Electro and Rhino? If he wanted to he could have let Dillon finish me off!" Those words seem to sober Spider-Woman up enough to get her to back down. She walks away from Peter leaving him with Spider-Man.

"Okay… you want to clue me in on what's going on?" Peter asks annoyed.

Spider-Man casts a wary glance at her but Spider-Woman simply stares off into the city below. No longer interested in their conversation it seems.

"Few years ago, Norman Osborne was one of the foremost leaders in biogenetics… his company… Oscorp, was a multi-billion dollar industry on the cutting edge of mutation. They were experimenting on unlocking the genetic potential of animals, fusing them with man…"

Peter nods, eager to hear more. He'd come across a couple articles concerning Osborne before, but the circumstances around him and his company's demise, were not a matter of public record. He thought it was possible that Osborne's obsessions around genetic tampering was responsible for his own abilities. Plus, the story that the young man is telling feels familiar.

"There was a school trip to one of his facilities." Spider-Woman abruptly rejoins the conversation. "But it wasn't a school trip at all, it was a controlled science experiment. Osborne wanted to test genetically altered spiders against the human beings, but he didn't want to wait for human drug trials to be approved. He engineered an accident…"

"The two of you were there…" Peter reasons that they had both been bitten. The Spiders must have carried a venom of some sort that would invade the DNA of the subject and mutate it.

She shakes her head. "Among others…" She looks over at Spider-Man who takes the cue to walk away. Once he is gone she continues. Peter could tell that whatever she was about to say next was painful for her, but he wasn't prepared for her removing her mask, shaking free a mass of silky red hair. "Of the eight of us who were bitten; four died that day, one died after weeks of agony in a hospital bed, two seemed to have no ill effects at all… and one… the last was slowly dying from the bite…."

Peter knows who the two are, but is curious as to the third. "The third was him wasn't it? Norman Osborne?"

The red headed girl laughs sadly. "No. The third was Peter Parker…"

The weight of her pronouncement hits him harder than a punch from Deathstroke and he drops to a knee. She squats down in front of him. "Peter was a genius…" She begins, with a tone of both admiration and sadness. "But when the spider bit him, it changed him. He didn't gain any abilities, in fact the bite was killing him, slowly…"

"Killing him how?"

"Paralysis. First he lost the use of his right hand, then his left leg, then his organs began to fail… I was his… I was his friend… I tried to help him… but the more I tried to be there for him the more he realized that I had been bitten too, but didn't have the same adverse effects he did. He became obsessed with me, with my abilities. He was convinced that I could be the key to helping him…. And… I wanted to help…" Spider-Woman breaks up and begins to cry. He reaches for her, but she pulls away quickly. "I know he didn't mean to hurt me, I knew he just wanted to be whole again. And because I wanted it too… I wanted us to be together… I let him test me, experiment on me. We were close to a breakthrough, I know it, but Osborne wouldn't have it."

She continues to detail how, Peter, desperate for a cure enlisted the help of Osborne, exposing her for who she was. It was then they learned that Osborne had done his own experiments on himself, turning himself into a goblin like creature. He wanted to the same thing that Peter did, but for his own selfish reasons. He wanted the physical power to go with his mental acumen. He wanted to rule people, not help them. Several times Osborne tried to capture Spider-Woman, hence the formation of the Sinister Six, the infection of Osborne's own son, who Osborne put against her and many other plots ruining other innocent lives. It all culminated in a final showdown a year ago.

Osborne's thugs versus her.

The Vulture ended up with a broken back, Doctor Octopus' was tossed from a window by Osborne himself when he suggested they call off their pursuit of a girl not yet out of high school. Thor had taken out Rhino himself, Captain America stopped Mysterio and Electro was wounded by a bullet meant for Spider-Woman. That left her and Osborne to fight each other. Osborne, taking the moniker and appearance of Green Goblin.

Their struggle ran from downtown New York all the way back to Peter's home in Queens, solving for Peter the mystery of the hole that had been his apparent childhood home.

"Osborne was determined to use Peter's mind and my body to cure himself. He wanted my abilities without the burden of being a scaly monster, Peter stopped him though. He sacrificed himself for me to make sure Osborne could never hurt anyone again…"

Peter could no longer contain himself. Pulling his own mask free he looks into her eyes; "I'm him! I'm Peter Parker! What did I do? What happened to me?"

Both Spider-Woman and Spider-Man are dumbfounded but Spider-Woman responds first. Not in the way Peter expected; she begins laughing bitterly.

Grabbing a hold of her shoulders he shakes roughly. "What's so funny?"

"You are NOT Peter Parker." Spider-Woman states simply, once she's able to calm down. "I buried him, even though his aunt and uncle blamed me for his death and didn't want me there at his funeral, I stood by his coffin as it was lowered to the ground…"

Peter's mind flashes back to his memory of pulling himself from a grave. Was he brought back to life by the Spectre? Is that why his past is a blank slate? To protect him? Turning her towards him, he forces her to look at him. "Look at me! Don't I remind you of him? Of Peter?"

For the first time green eyes meet brown and the girl shakes her head sadly. "A little…. And believe me; I'd give anything for you to be my Peter…" She stands up and takes a step back. "But you're not."

This time Peter laughs. "How can you be so sure? I have spider powers, I don't remember anything about my past before a few months ago-"

"Does the name Mary Jane mean anything to you? Do you remember anything about me?" Her eyes now wet with tears, she stares at Peter not in anger, but in genuine curiosity. She found it had to believe that Peter was really gone himself, but the genetic bomb Peter set off duplicated the same affect the spider venom had on him. At an incredibly accelerated rate. Nothing much was left of Osborne but Peter was alive long enough to say a final farewell to the girl who had always carried a torch for him.

Peter wants to say yes, but there's nothing, no flash of déjà vu, no feeling of familiarity. He had a dream once, a dream where Rose mentioned that name, but hearing it again, seeing her face, it didn't set off in him anything.

"What about me man?" Spider-Man removes his mask. "Miles… you remember me?"

Aggravated Peter yells. "I told you I don't remember anything!"

"Peter would never forget us…" Mary Jane answers sadly. "And unless you died, came back to life gained a foot of height and lost a couple hundred pounds, you are not Peter Parker…" She then produces a photo from a pocket and hands it to him. Peter looks at the photo in disbelief. It's the three of them, obviously taken some time before the incident. There was Peter Parker; a version of him at least, weighing in at somewhere around three hundred pounds flanked by Miles and Mary Jane. He stares at the photo for several minutes in silence.

"I don't know where you came from or who you are…" Mary Jane offers softly, easing the photo from his grip. "But you are not Peter Parker…"

It didn't make any sense. The search Batman had run was based on facial recognition software and while there was always room for error, it came back as a 96% match. Surely that meant something?

"I wish we could help you," Mary Jane caresses his face sympathetically. "You're obviously going through something very tough… but Peter Parker is dead and you have a life of your own back in Gotham City. Live it. Don't allow not having a past, rob you of your future."

**-Mount Olympus-**

"Fellow "_**immortals**_" I. Am. Your. Future!"

"Our Future?" Athena asks angrily. "You struck your own mother down! What about her future?"

Ares nods breaking into a fit of sad laughter. "Mother? Is that what you think? That Hera _**birthed **_you? Brought you forth with love and labor pains? Well… someone did, but it certainly was not the creature that I left on the earth below us…" Ares approaches her, amused to see her sink back at his approach. "For all we know, we are not related at all… it would certainly explain some of the things you've felt towards me…" Ares stands in front of her caressing her chin gently, she for her part is unable to control the anxious sigh that escapes her lips.

"Enough Ares!" Zeus calls out from the background. His protest carries very little weight with it. In fact the sound of his voice barely raises above a whisper.

"Do NOT seek to command me!" Ares yells turning from Athena momentarily. His voice shakes the Halls of Olympus causing all in attendance to cower. Satisfied that Zeus will remain silent, Ares turns back to his "sister". "Now… allow me to offer illumination… to you…" looking around at the other so-called gods he laughs; a bitter humorless sort of sound. "… to all of you… about our past and our future…"

**-Untold Millennia ago-**

"There exists but one true God, how will we convince them of otherwise?"

"Deception has ever been my calling card. Have you forgotten?"

"What have you in mind?"

"When my brothers assumed human forms and walked amidst the earth, their offspring had frightening abilities…though still mortal… it would be easy to recreate similar circumstances again…"

"Perhaps, but when they raged out of control, our creator ended them with ease…"

"Even still, his patience is great, as long as the path of our puppets remains controllable… this is _**my **_time, remember?"

"So you continue to remind all of us…"

"We elevate a few and the superstitious will worship them eagerly, the more we can mislead the better. Some will never fall to that trap, but enough will. It's not as if I have no other tools in my arsenal."

**-Mount Olympus-**

"So a plan was set in motion…"Ares takes a seat on the now vacant throne, watching ruefully as Zeus stands to the side looking unsure. "Every generation a new batch of puppets were chosen-"

"You cannot possibly know this!" Athena protests looking over at Zeus for some sign that Ares is lying. Throughout this whole ordeal she held out hope that eventually her father would do something. Anything.

"His Silence should be all the proof need…" Ares looks around at the assembled immortals and laughs. "How long have you lived one-dimensional lives? How long will you continue to?"

Ares continues to tell the story that he read about in the libraries of Themyscira. He hadn't even been looking for records regarding the origins of the God's of Olympus. Instead he was looking for the weapons now in his possession. He convinced his former lover to disguise the two of them as Amazonians and they gained access to the hall of records. For weeks he poured through a seemingly endless amount of scrolls, books and tablets searching for information.

It was during his third week of study that he came across a diary.

It seemed innocuous enough, until he came across the words; "I am not ready to give up being Zeus…"

He read the text from cover to cover that night, learning that not only had there been others who bore the tittle of Zeus, but the former lord of all had been Zeus' own brother, Hades. Hades didn't know this on a conscious level of course, the words of the book penned before his "reassignment". In his own words he spoke of his personal rise to the throne, the jealousy of his brother and the thought that his reign would last longer than just a few centuries.

Hades' diary wasn't all that he found. There was also a scroll that laid out the family tree as it were, of the Olympians.

It also detailed the selection process. It wasn't terribly intricate; the children of the most foul and vicious tyrants were taken from their parents. They were taken into seclusion, away from their people and fed a steady diet of falsehood. By the time the brainwashing stood complete, they not only believed themselves to be immortal, but they remembered nothing of their past lives. Only Zeus was allowed to remember, because he was tasked with keeping them in check.

Mount Olympus itself, was the source of their longevity.

They only aged when they left the confines of their shimmering realm. It was a place that existed both outside and parallel to the world below them. It was why Zeus never left; he knew each second spent on earth was a second lost forever. He also knew why the weapons that Ares now wore were created:

"_**I am told by our masters that my time has come to an end. Apparently I have not done enough to drive humanity into the darkness and they have decided that I am no longer of use. I don't understand their motivations. If mankind destroys itself, who will we rule over? It seems unreasonable to lay waste to them when without them we have no station. The conflicts I've allowed to flare up should have been sufficient, but I am told it is not. My brother, the God of War offers them promises them of greater conflicts, of a higher death toll and they swallow it like air. My brother out his kindness, offers me the station he holds but I decline. I decide that will not relinquish my position. He will have to wrest it from my hands!" **_

They then commissioned various mortals to recover the weapons that would make Ares' "father" unbeatable in battle. Weapons forged and created by the very first "Zeus" in order to keep his throne. Of course, those items were not allowed to remain in his possession long. They were scattered among warriors of the world and so the lore of them became tied to the mortals who used them.

The blade, was the most fearsome of them all. It is designed to strip away any unnatural energy from its target and return them to their previous or natural form. More was recorded in the log of an unknown eye-witness. Ares, upon reading his account, surmised that this was in fact one of the_** masters**_ Hades, former Zeus had been referring to.

"_**The battle lasts several seconds, further cementing in my mind that we have chosen wisely this time. Our previous selection, while showing promise, lacks the intelligence to truly grasp his purpose. This new one, I feel, will double, maybe even triple the amount of pain, anguish and despair of the people of this planet to the point where they will be ripe for the plucking. And if not, well, the very weapons that gained him the victory, will be used against him. Of course, this will mean we will need another God of War and we will also need to wipe the minds of his fellow Olympians. If they remained cognizant of the fact that "Zeus" can be replaced, it will not be long before someone else will want to assume the throne. That sort of inner turmoil does not serve our purpose…"**_

The log continues, Hades is reassigned and Zeus is allowed to remember that his brother had once been on the throne himself. Apparently, the masters thought having a reminder of what could happen if he fell short of expectations, would be a motivating factor. But it was the last words of the account that spurred Ares into action:

"_**I pen these words, not out of some misguided need to record history, rather in the hopes that someone bold enough, intelligent enough and ruthless enough may read them and be motivated to action. After all; nothing lasts forever…"**_

"More lies, more deception!" Athena cries out in fear. In the pit of her stomach she feels the ring of truth in Ares' words. A look around at the assembled tells her they all feel it. A nagging something in the corner of their consciousness that whispers _**yes**_.

Ares walks over to Zeus who is sitting with his hands folded in his lap. "Tell me something father," Ares asks lifting Zeus' chin up with the tip of the blade that Zeus used on his brother more than a millennia before. "When they healed Hades from the wounds you inflicted on him, did you feel relief that you had not killed your brother? Or regret that he would serve as a constant reminder of the fact that this position can be won and lost?"

"His time was over…" Zeus whispers, standing to his feet shakily. Ares has not moved the blade from its threatening position, in fact, the point now rests uneasily against Zeus' throat. "They supported my ascension; how do you think they view yours?"

Ares takes a step backwards and holds his hands out in expectation. "I suspect, that if they were against it, they would have never allowed me to get this far… don't you think?"

"Father…?"

Zeus turns to speak to his daughter, only to find her confused face splattered with blood. For a brief moment he worries that the blood is hers, until he looks down to see the point of the blade protruding from the left side of his chest. He manages a cough, spraying Athena with more of his blood before he falls to the ground.

With the toe of his boot, Ares turns Zeus over on his back so that he can look into the dying eyes of the man who he called father for nearly all of his life. "I will spare you the indignity of watching me rule." Ares squats next to his body, keeping an eye out for any Olympians who may want to avenge the death of their leader. "Enjoy the kiss of oblivion…father…" After Zeus breathes his last, Ares stands up and turns to the stunned crowd.

Ares picks up Zeus' trident and sits back on his throne. "Now. Kneel."

Without hesitation all bend knee to Ares and he smiles.

He can't help but wonder how Darkseid would feel knowing what the truth behind the Anti-Life equation lay in the trident he now holds in his hand.

**-Themyscira, guest quarters-**

"I hope these accommodations suit you, Flash." Artemis shows the hero to a room within the royal palace. She has no idea how things might have gone without his assistance today and she is glad she doesn't have to know. He his help had been invaluable and she was glad that Hippolyta had decided to extend such courtesy to an outlander.

"I think I could fit my entire apartment in here…" Flash quips looking around the spacious room. He was beginning to feel the effects of all the day's events. He only wanted two things; a shower and enough food to feed a small village. That thought brings a frown to his face and Artemis notices it immediately.

"What troubles you, Flash?" She found that she enjoyed his smile and was sad to see it no longer illuminating his face. It seemed to make his eyes sparkle with a light she couldn't quite place, but that she enjoyed seeing.

"Don't take this the wrong way… but is there any chance you Amazons have working showers is there?"

Confusion mars Artemis' face until she realizes why he would ask. "Of course! We are not savages who bathe in waterfalls and lakes…"

Embarrassed Flash backpedals. "I know! I just mean, I thought maybe…"

Happy to have gotten the better of the quick-witted speedster, Artemis laughs. "Peace, Flash. I was only… teasing… I believe you call it…? There is a bathing area just off this very room. I assumed you may wish to use it…" Stepping away briefly she opens the closet in the room to come back with a toga like outfit, obviously tailored for a man. She hands the clothes to him and he raises an eyebrow as he takes hold of the garment. "We have not always refused the visitation of men to our island… at one point we shared this land with them." Artemis offers, answering his unspoken question.

"Lucky guys…" Flash murmurs, unable to avoid eyeing with approval the statuesque woman in front of him. Artemis for her part, feels her skin heat up with an unfamiliar flush at his gaze. "Well, if you'll excuse me…"

**-Library of Themyscira-**

"Most of this is written-"

"In Latin, and there is some Greek as well as some Hebrew…. Yes… I realize that. But thankfully what I'm looking for I'll know when I see it." Batman finishes her sentence with only a residual trace of annoyance. He was used to going through this process alone. And if there did happen to be someone there, they knew to be silent.

Diana simply shrugs and resumes watching Batman sift through various scrolls and books. She rarely got to see him like this. Sure she'd been around him when he was trying to piece together a puzzle before, but this time was markedly different.

For one thing, his cape and cowl were both lying across the bench in at the far side of the room, something he never did in the company of the Justice League. The core members of the League may know his identity, but even given that fact, he still kept up appearances.

The other difference was in his demeanor. He was focused as always on his task, but she felt as if his guard were down. Maybe not all the way, but enough to allow her to feel as if he were comfortable around her. Even his rebuke carried less of the typical edge he normally spoke to her with.

Another difference in the situation was what had nearly happened on the beach just moments ago.

She couldn't get it out of her head. The feel of his lips, the taste of his tongue, how skillful his hands seemed to be in eliciting the most pleasure with each touch. Diana knew him to be extraordinarily skilled in warfare; master of dozens of complex fighting styles, yet for some reason she hadn't anticipated his deftness to include intimacy.

Apparently Bruce Wayne's reputation was more fact than fiction.

"Diana, you are in my light…" Batman cautions without turning around. Reading by torch light in the fading afternoon sun was hard enough without the distraction Diana presented. If Zatanna hadn't called, what would have happened? He often flirted as Bruce Wayne in order to keep up the "playboy" pretense, but he'd never engaged in anything other than business when the cowl was on. The fact that Diana had been moments away from leading across a line he had never before crossed was disturbing.

"Precisely my point, Batman…" Diana offers taking a seat on the edge of the table he was sitting at to face him. "These items have been here for centuries, they will keep until morning. And you need food and rest if you want to approach this at your best…"

Rubbing his eyes wearily, Batman opens his mouth to tell her that he has gone longer without rest or sleep with no ill effects, but the words die in his throat. Diana looks down at him with a look he'd never seen in her eyes before; longing. She'd always done almost as good a job as him at keeping her passions broiling under the surface, but now in this moment he could see clearly her desire for him. "Diana… what happened earlier-"

"Was long overdue…" Diana interrupts, sitting astride his lap as she had done before. Joining the passion he saw determination. "I will no longer allow you to deny what is plain to both of us. My mother told me once that her own mother wrestled with Heracles himself for eight straight days to lay claim to his heart. I am more than willing to do the same with Batman if that is what it takes…"

Batman smirks thinking of that prospect. "What happened to the shy Princess of the Amazons?" Her hands have taken residence in his scalp, gently massaging in a relaxing manner. His eyes meet hers, expecting her to turn away. He is pleased to see she doesn't.

"She is tired of waiting for the great detective to come to the correct conclusion." She answers with a slight teasing tone, reaching again for his protective chest plate.

Taking her hands, he helps her find the release valve and takes the piece, setting it down carefully on the floor. "Sometimes the truth… Can be the scariest thing in the world…" He murmurs, taking her fingertips and bringing them to his lips, kissing them lightly. The tenderness behind the gesture causing Diana to moan softly.

"Then it is fortunate for us both," Diana scrapes her nails against the Kevlar mesh over his chest. "That the Batman fears nothing…"

**-Shower-**

Wally had never been in a shower this large before, open on all sides with the largest shower heads he's ever seen. The cascading water is equivalent to a torrential downpour working over his stiff muscles. He doesn't get sore often, thanks to his heightened metabolism, but even he has limits.

"I apologize, I forgot to provide you with a towel and soap."

"Artemis!?" Wally turns from the water attempting to cover himself, until he comes face to face with an equally naked Artemis holding out a square bar of soap. She places two towels on the empty rack off to the side without any attempt to shield herself from being seen.

Completely oblivious to Wally's predicament, Artemis steps in front of him and begins wetting her hair. "Gods, that feels wonderful! I feel as if I took a bath in a pool of quicksand…"

Wally stands, mouth agape, as Artemis lathers up her hair contentedly. Looking over her frame he is surprised how soft she looks to him now. In battle, there seemed to be no end to her muscles. And although he never thought of her as manly, he certainly would have never called her demure. Yet that is how she looks to him now, her curves on full display.

"It's okay Wally…"He murmurs to himself. "Any second now, you'll wake up passed out in your uniform on the bed with an embarrassing erection…"

"What are you saying?" Artemis asks turning back to face Wally. "I would not think a shower to be strange, even for a one of the world of men…"

Tired of her nonchalant attitude, he decides to spell out what he would think is obvious. "Where I come from, Artemis, men and women do not ordinarily take showers together! I mean not unless… that is-"

"That's wasteful and silly." Artemis snorts, rinsing her hair. "If you are willing to shed blood together, then what is so disturbing about showering together? Comrades should be able to share all things… Can you get my back for me… Flash?" Artemis asks turning back to Wally, pulling her hair to the side.

For a moment, he stands dumbfounded at her request, her overall indifference to the situation, but if that is how she wants to play this, he wasn't going to say no.

Taking a breath to steady his shaking hands, he begins lathering up her back. He kneads the tense flesh of her shoulders, causing sighs of content to escape her. Working over the muscles until he feels them loosen, he makes a trail down to the small of her back. He uses his thumbs to release the tension he finds here. So focused is he on his task, he doesn't notice Artemis' face is now flat against the cool tile of the shower wall.

Flash looks up from his handiwork, noting the contented smile plastered on Artemis' face. If he didn't know better, he would think that she had come in here with the intention of seduction. But nothing in her demeanor had felt like seduction to him. Although to be fair, his experience with that was limited at best. Still she seems truly to think nothing of their current interactions.

His hands drift to her waist, massaging her hips, the soap forgotten on the floor of the shower. The allure of her firm backside, causes him to take a subconscious step forward. That action causes his fully engorged manhood to come in contact with her soft cheeks. Without realizing what he was doing, he kisses her shoulder blade lightly. A shocked gasp from Artemis, and she leans backward into the kiss. The action breaks the stillness of the moment.

"… All clean…" Wally announces, taking a defensive step back. He was so enraptured by her beauty, by the joy of touching her in such an intimate way, he'd nearly taken a step towards something he was sure she had no interest in.

Artemis turns to face Wally, her eyes half lidded. If she were any other woman in the world, he would have taken her current appearance as a sign of pure desire. "I… thank you…Wally. I feel… that was…"

He smiles as she struggles for words. "We're comrades, remember?" Wally offers with a warm smile, trying desperately to hide his obvious erection.

"Yes..." She mumbles, biting her lip. "And as such I should return the favor…" She turns and bends over to retrieve the soap and Flash bites back the very insistent urge to bury himself deep within her soft folds. He shakes his head free of that thought, kicking out its companion which remarks that there would likely be little to no resistance to his intrusion. "Here." She stands back up, oblivious to the tug of war going on within Flash and holds out her now soapy hands.

Flash starts to turn around, but she stops him. Instead of washing his back as he had done for her, she begins lathering his chest. He opens his mouth to protest, but instead has to use that energy to bite back a moan as her thumb finds a sensitive spot just to the right of his nipple. He tries in vein to ignore the sensations her touch creates.

With a quiet curiosity, Artemis' hands lather and explore every inch of his upper torso. She approaches this the same way she has everything else in her life; diligently. She was Diana's better in combat, not due to her strength or speed, but due to her observational skills. She absorbed information eagerly and working her hands over the muscled frame of Flash, she watches his reactions carefully.

Some caresses cause a smile or a light chuckle, which she took to mean he was ticklish in those areas. Others cause him to hiss lightly and close his eyes, which she took as a sign of enjoyment. When she got to his waist, she hesitated.

It was not that she had never seen a man naked, because she had. But seeing and touching where two very distinctly different things. As much as she could tell Flash was enjoying her touch, she was enjoying it more. Not as much as when his hands were on her, but still. "Artemis…I think… we should…"

She looks up at his expression. Did he want her to stop? Did he want her to continue? "Did I cause this?" She asks gingerly lifting the source of her curiosity in her hands. She can feel it pulse and throb in her hands. It feels like the snakes that frequent the deep jungle of the island.

The innocence in her tone as she asks the question, makes Flash chuckle softly. "Situational hazard. Happens every time I'm around an incredibly beautiful naked woman…" Wally carefully removes Artemis' hands from him. Curious or not, she was entering into dangerous territory that he needed to put a halt to.

Artemis raises a questioning eyebrow at Flash. "You think me… beautiful…?"

Flash stares back down at her amazed, wondering if she's being serious or not. He's dated women who were constantly fishing for compliments, wanting him to pad their already inflated self-esteem. But he could see none of that in the questioning look of Artemis. She truly wanted to know. "Of course you are!" Flash grabs her by her shoulders and pulls her out of the spray of the forgotten shower head so she can look up at him without resistance. "You're gorgeous!"

Artemis smiles self-consciously. "I think you are beautiful as well… can men be beautiful? I mean… is that acceptable for me to say in your world…?" The transformation in her was amazing to him. Without a sword and armor she seems so wonderfully small. So beautifully human.

Flash laughs at her question. "Artemis, whatever you say is perfectly fine by me…" He wants to say more, but this is new territory for him; really for the both of them. He doubts seriously if before today Artemis had taken any showers with men. And he had definitely never taken one with an Amazon.

The two stare at each other for a few moments. Neither sure of what to say or do next the only sound is the water pelting their skin.

"Ah, forget it!" Flash exclaims, pulling Artemis to him and pressing his lips lightly to hers.

Her surprise causes her to lose her footing a bit, but he secures her body to his by drawing her hips to him. He throbs eagerly against her thigh as he kisses her softly. At first she is a spectator, allowing him to take the lead, but as his kisses intensify, she grabs the nape of his neck, bringing him closer.

Her tongue explores his mouth tentatively, and he allows her complete access to him. He backs her up to the wall and when the shower handle pinches the small of her back, she doesn't break her kiss with him. She simply slides to the right, knowing he will follow. Once her back is flat against the wall, he reaches down and cuts off the water.

She expects to feel cold without the constant spray of warm water, but the fire building between their bodies provides more than enough heat.

Artemis mewls in protest as his lips leave hers, but the protest is quickly replaced by a sigh of contentment as his mouth travels down her neck. The feel is so thrilling, she rubs her thighs together in excitement. His kisses make their way to her collarbone and her head throttles backward in approval. Noting her reaction, Flash continues his manipulations until the flesh there is nearly as red as her hair.

He looks up into her half lidded eyes as she breathes heavily before descending on a turgid nipple. Her nails dig into his shoulders involuntarily as he squeezes and massages her breasts while his mouth alternates between left and right nipple.

"Amazing…" Artemis moans in delight. She had not come into the shower with any real agenda, other than an intense need to be around him. Had she imagined that she would be writhing under his skillful manipulation, she would have dispensed with all pretense and simply propositioned him while they both were still sandy and tired.

Flash drops into a squat and Artemis' eyes open in confusion. She's still unsure of what to expect as he balances her left leg on his right shoulder with a wolfish grin on his face.

**-Library of Themyscira-**

Their fevered kisses had caused them to tumble from the chair and fall in a flushed heap to the floor of the library. The cool marble of the floor ran in direct contrast to the heat Diana felt within her entire body as Bruce lay over top of her. His eyes dance with the same excitement she's seen in her own reflection when she thought of him.

Gone were the gauntlets that cover the fists that have brought many a villain to the land of the unconscious. Those hands, instead, were now removing her bodice, threatening to deliver her to another world themselves. Once her breasts are exposed to the cool air of the empty Library, his mouth returns to hers, kissing her.

Diana is overwhelmed by the passion and desire evident in his kiss. This was the embrace she'd longed to be in for what felt like centuries. His touch is an assault on her senses; his hands massage her breasts, his lips ad tongue tease the flesh of her neck and she shivers uncontrollably. She is thankful that most of her sisters are in their homes this night, because she doesn't know how much longer she can keep quiet.

He parts from her body and lifts a boot clad leg onto his shoulder. Never taking his eyes off her, he finds the secret latch and the soft leather pulls easily from her leg. He kisses her ankle tenderly and jolt of electricity finds its way to her core and she moans loudly. He smirks as if he knew that reaction was forthcoming.

"Damn you, Batman…" Diana hisses as he nibbles at the soft skin of her right ankle. "Must you know everything?"

Batman ignores her protest and begins the same operation on the left leg, leaving only her trunks and her belt to cover her. Tossing the last boot aside, he kisses down the inner left thigh of the Princess of Themyscira, causing her quiver in equal parts delight and frustration. He was giving her such pleasure, but taking none, it seemed to her, for himself. Her thoughts are obliterated, however, when he drags his tongue deliberately against the material of her trunks. Somehow, through the mesh she can feel the heat of his breath and something other than sweat begins to issue forth from her center.

She reaches down to assist him in taking them off, but he captures her hands kisses her palm, again capturing her eyes with his. She stares back into the warm blue until she is startled by clank of her belt hitting the floor.

"How?"

"I'm the Batman, remember?" This time Bruce chuckles and it's a sound that makes Diana smile uncontrollably. This is all she wanted; to make the man who had come to mean so much to her, happy.

Bruce eases the trunks from her waist down her long legs and places them on the table he'd just moments ago been studying at. Naked and wanting, Bruce takes a moment to look over her. He's seen beautiful women before, in his Bruce Wayne persona, he's literally surrounded by them, but at this moment he realizes what beauty truly is. It's more than the perfect curve of her hips, or the ample swell of her breasts.

More than the soft, yet firm feel of her backside or the full lips. It's everything else about her that you don't see unless you look for it. The innocence of her smile, the warmth of her eyes as she looks at him in anticipation. Her resolve and determination to love him despite all his efforts to convince her otherwise. She, is beauty given form in his eyes.

"Incredible…" It's all he manages to say before he takes a place between her legs. He kisses the patch of skin just above the well-trimmed brunette thatch of silky hair. Happy she had not opted for the clean shaven look. When women were clean shaven it made him think, rationally or not, that the area had seen so much traffic that it needed to be bare.

When his tongue parts the moist folds of her core, her back arches a full five inches off the floor. He manipulates both the inner and outer flesh of her drawing more moans and pleased squeals from Diana as he zeroes in on the bundle of nerves he had not touched yet. He was coaxing it forward and her hips tried to guide him to that sweeter spot. He was enjoying the taste too much to quit dipping his tongue into her though. She was sweet and bitter at the same time, coating his face with her elevated excitement.

As her actions and moans became more insistent he lowers his mouth over now fully exposed clitoris, pulling it from the protective hood with his lips. Sliding a thick digit into her slowly he twists until he finds the collection of nerves just past her pelvic bone and rubs gently.

The combination of clitoral and g-spot simulation prove to undo any sense of decorum in Diana and she paints the walls of the library with her screams of ecstasy.

**-Shower-**

Wally stands over the panting form of Artemis, as she sits on the floor of the shower, regaining her senses. The force of her orgasm had been such that Flash narrowly avoided losing a handful of his hair. In this case he could think of worse ways to go bald.

"That was amazing…" Artemis pants, looking up embarrassed. She had experienced the touch of her own hands when the solitude had become too much to bear, but the release she experienced under the touch of another, was much better. She hopes her screams don't raise any alarms. Especially since they made a much fuller sound in the acoustics of the bathroom.

"I am not finished with you yet…" Wally warns, scooping her up in his arms. He expected her to be heavy and was surprised how light she seems. Carefully he carries her to the bedroom.

Laying her across the bed she sinks into the soft white comforter, looking every bit the seductress that she is not. He climbs atop of her and her eyes light up with anticipation. But he hesitates.

"Wally, I know what comes next…" Artemis reaches between the speedsters legs guiding him to her glistening entrance. "And I want it more than anything else…"

**-Library-**

"You are an evil man…" Diana protests still lying in a pool of her sweat and ejaculate. Batman stands over her looking at her lustfully. Her voice comes to his ears, husky and raw from her earlier expressions of pleasure.

"Call me old-fashioned, but I would like our first time together to be in a bed…" Batman quips reaching for his top shirt, which had earlier been discarded. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman he'd ever been with. More than Talia, more than Selina, what he felt for Diana was a volcano to their proverbial match stick. But he also wanted it to be special.

"All that matters to me," Diana adds getting to her feet shakily. "Is that we are together." She grabs his hand and pries the garment from him. She was still feeling the effects of what he did to her and it makes her both timid and bold at the same time. "That will make it special…" Locking her eyes with his, she unfastens his utility belt and drops it to the floor. When he raises an eyebrow at her she smiles in triumph. "Wonder Woman is not without her own tricks…"

"Indeed…" Bruce, no longer able to reign in his own desires, clears the table of scrolls and books with a sweep of his hand and lifts Diana on the table in their place. She squeals in surprise and he captures her mouth with his again. She sighs into the kiss and Bruce is sure he's never heard a more beautiful sound the contented sigh of his Princess. She makes room for him between her legs, her still over-stimulated mound coming into contact with the course material of the lower half of his uniform.

Diana's hands drop from his shoulders to his waist, looking to remove his pants. Without breaking their kiss, Bruce frees his feet from his boots first, then uses one hand to remove the pants while using a wet thumb to tease a painfully erect nipple. Diana breaks their kiss to lean her head back and let free a load moan. Exposing her neck to Bruce allows him to slip in to nuzzle her throat.

"Please…" Diana begs her eyes on his anxiously. He's seen that look before. He doesn't answer her plea with words, instead he guides his hardened shaft to her wet opening. Feeling the head against her lips she rests her hands on his hips in encouragement and he enters her slowly.

Both hiss in pleasure.

Diana from the feeling of finally having him inside of her, something that until the moment arrived she had no idea she wanted so desperately. Him from the tight feel of her accepting him into her.

With all his flaws, his shortcomings and his imperfections, here was his raven haired goddess telling him with her actions that she accepted all of him. As he is.

"Easy…" Diana places a hand of warning on his chest. "Give me a moment to… adjust…"

Bruce nods, placing a hand in her hair, drawing her lips to his, kissing her passionately. Halfway inside her, he moves in short, slow strokes, not burying himself completely in her warmth as he wanted to, but allowing the both of them to revel in the feel.

The rocking rhythm they establish allows begins to pick up as she takes more and more of him inside. His hands cradle her butt, pulling her into his strokes and she wraps her arms around his shoulders letting him set the pace.

His thrusts become more and more insistent and the table rocks with their exertions. She finds a home in the crook of his neck and licks the sweat beginning to form there. Surprising herself by finding this not only turns her on more, but that she enjoys the taste. Her licks, become small bites and she hears him moan in approval. Happy to have found a way to return the feelings he is giving her, she increases her attention even as he buries himself deeper and deeper in the depths of her.

The table creaks a warning before it splits in half underneath her. He keeps her aloft in his strong arms and does not miss a stroke. For a brief moment she wonders if they will need to buy reinforced furniture for their future encounters.

Carrying her to a stone column to their right, Bruce pins her against it and drives himself back into her forcefully. She gasps in delight.

**-Bedroom-**

Though they started in the bed, somehow Artemis ends up bracing herself against the wall as Wally thrusts into her from behind.

It made her think of that moment in the shower, when they both were still trying to maintain a semblance of innocence and she felt that hard shaft against her cheeks. It was hotter and harder than anything she had ever felt and now it was plumbing her depths, driving her to the edge of insanity.

"Yes! Yes!" Artemis screams as Wally drives into her. She could feel a very familiar fluttering begin to build in the pit of her stomach and she greedily began throwing herself back onto him to usher her completion. The slapping of their still damp flesh filled the room and added to the erotic feeling of the moment. Here she was, in the house of her queen, copulating furiously with one of the hated members of man's world. Her nails begin digging into the wall in front of her as Wally increases the force of his thrusts to match her need.

When her hands drop to her sides out of incoming pleasure, he grabs both her wrists and uses her arms to gain greater leverage. She is nearly taken off her feet with the force of his demands.

"Ohhhhhh….. yesssssssssssssssssss!"

**-Library-**

Diana lies limp in Batman's arms as she shakes in the aftermath of another orgasm. Using the beam to help support her weight he held her with one arm, while the other strummed each of her nipples. The added manipulation combined with his urgent thrusts left her with no recourse, but to explode all over him again. The noise she makes is equal measure satisfaction and joy. Had she known that this is what it would be like having him, she would have attacked him that day he desperately attempted to dig her free from the rubble. That was the day it really hit home not just how much he cared, but how happy she was that he did.

"You are magnificent…" Bruce muses, kissing her damp scalp, still holding her up. He is trying desperately to remember why he was so dead set against them being together, but here in the midst of this experience, his mind comes up blank.

"That… should be my line…"Diana smirks lightly. Her heart hammers in her chest at an unusual pace but it doesn't fill her with dread or concern. She feels exhilarated in every way.

"Then it wouldn't be true…" Batman counters, darkly, kissing her full lips lightly. And there it was; the difference between them. She was light and pure and innocent and he was darkness, rage and corruption. He felt unworthy of having her, of having her want him. His other conquests were nothing like Diana, they were more what he himself deserved.

Summoning her strength, she floats from his arms, easing herself off the architect of her destruction. Amazed at all he had done to her with it she thinks to herself; Batman, is adept at using all of his tools.

The thought causes her to laugh softly. "Care to share Princess?"

This time she likes the way he says her title, possibly due to the euphoria of her last release tempering her mood. Landing in front of him she pushes him gently backward until his back is flat against the marble of the floor. She wasn't sure if he would allow her control, but he just watches her waiting to see what she will do.

She isn't sure herself. She just knows she wants to return the favor, he has already shown her.

Straddling his hips, she kisses his neck, tentatively waiting to see if he likes it. Encouraged by his sighs, she moves over the taut muscles of his chest. She runs her nails over the light hair there leaving little impression trails as she makes her way down his body.

Face to face with a still very erect shaft, coated in her juices, she sticks her tongue out to sample the taste. She had no desire to taste herself, but was not disgusted by their mingled flavors. Taking in the head first, suckling on it lightly his hips lift slightly off the ground, forcing more of him into her mouth.

Bruce, after a few moments, reaches down to free himself from Diana's lips, the disappointment on her face is evident.

"Am I… was I doing it wrong?" Diana asks timidly. Not having a point of reference for this situation, she didn't know if she was doing a good job or not. But the fact he made her stop, causes her to think she was not.

"Not at all…" Bruce reassures, pulling her into his arms and kissing her reassuringly. "But, I want something else…"

Diana doesn't have to wonder long what that might be, because he lifts her frame onto his waist and plunges back into her depths with ease. Sitting up facing each other Diana plants her feet on either side of his legs and begins rocking back and forth.

**-Daily Bugle rooftop-**

The revelation of "Peter Parker" had left him reeling.

He swung through the city hoping to prove them wrong, but the more of the city he saw the more convinced he was that this was not his home. Rather than head back to Gotham, he stopped back at the place where he began this New York adventure. Sitting on the edge of the roof he contemplates what tonight events mean for him going forward.

Is he doomed to never have a past?

"If you're going to sneak up on me, you're going to have to try harder…" Peter announces to the night sky.

"I suppose so…"

Peter turns to come face to face with the Spectre. "I suppose it would be too much to hope you're here to give me some answers…?"

"I suspect, Peter, you have come up with a few answers of your own…"

Peter sighs heavily and turns back to the city skyline. "Either I am a clone of Peter Parker, or this world, this universe isn't my home… There are similarities obviously, but I don't belong here…" Peter continues staring out into the city and laughs. "I thought it was odd that there wasn't more information about Peter Parker. Given all I can do, I expected there to be pages of documents, YouTube videos, but how could there be? The Peter Parker of this New York never gained the agility, strength and speed of a spider. He was just some chubby kid still years from puberty when he died…"

"I doubt if those he saved by sacrificing himself and taking out Norman Osborne would agree with your assessment..." Spectre offers taking a seat next to Peter. "The two of you are more similar than dissimilar…"

Peter snorts derisively. "Whatever you say…"If he was a clone, his amnesia made more sense. He didn't "grow up" in the traditional sense, so he has no past. It doesn't feel right to him though. "So, who or what am I?"

"You are Peter Parker." Spectre answers as if this is still a satisfying response. Peter, to his credit, refrains from punching him as hard as he can. "For now is that not enough?"

"You act as if I have a choice…" Peter grumbles unhappily.

"You asked me before why you are here…" Spectre speaks, surprising Peter.

"You told me I was needed…" Peter nods, recalling their earlier conversation. "But I don't see how that could be… Superman, Captain Marvel, Batman, Green Lantern… there's plenty of firepower to deal with anything Ares throws at us… they don't need me…"

"No?"

"No. You should send me home… wherever that is…" Peter had to believe that there were people out there, somewhere who were concerned about him.

"In time you will be given that option… I wonder… will you take it…?"

Peter turns to face the otherworldly power curiously. "You mean-" Until this moment, Peter wasn't entirely sure had a home to go to.

"After you have performed your duties in this Universe, you will be free to return to where you came from. If that is what you truly want…"

_**A/N: Hope this satisfies those who wondered why Peter hasn't bumped into any of his pals from the Ultimate Universe yet. Remember; this is the Justice League Universe and that plays a key role in the resolution of this story… if I'm not giving away too much… Next: Batgirl has an unlikely ally, the morning after has a completely different meaning for Superheroes and more answers to questions you have asked!**_


	25. Night before the mornings after

**-Bat Cave, four years ago-**

"You realize that this is a whole new level of paranoia, right?"

Batman doesn't even look at his young ward, instead he points to a computer display that shows the schematic of Wayne Manor. "Contingency Tango-"

"'_**In case an enemy combatant or combatants, should breech the Wayne Manor perimeter defense and gain access to the mansion itself, while members are in their civilian identities**_…' blah, blah blah…" Barbara spouts in her best teacher voice.

This time Batman does turn to face his two protégés. Dick had always had a smart mouth and although it sometimes annoyed Batman, he learned to tolerate it. Dick used sarcasm as his mask and as long as it didn't compromise their work, Batman let it slide. Barbara on the other hand, had never displayed anything but awe and obedience. To see her starting to adapt some of Dick's less desirable traits was disturbing. "You realize that the scenario is entirely plausible, right **Batgirl**?"

Barbara immediately straightens up. "Yes Batman." Despite her training and all she had done in Gotham, Batman still had the ability to make her feel like a kid being sent to the principal's office. So, she pays more than the usual attention as Batman goes over the exit strategies in case the worst should happen.

**-Wayne Manor, Now-**

Barbara hopes Martian's so-called reinforcements get here soon, because she was quickly running out of options. She is hesitant to use any of the contingencies Batman detailed that day. On the extreme side, there was the detonation of either an entire wing or the whole mansion; not an appealing option. Especially since she was a guest.

Other more sane options included a weapons cache on the third floor and an impregnable panic room in the East Wing. The panic room, on the surface seemed the best option but given that she has no idea know when her back up will show, or what the three villains are here for to begin with, she doesn't want to be cornered.

The fighter in Barbara is leaning more towards the weapons cache hidden in a sealed room that only she, Dick, Bruce and Tim had access to. Still thinking it over, she doesn't like the idea of a firefight or what may come from that. Learning that a billionaire playboy not only had a stash of supremely powerful weapons in his possession, but that the Commissioners' daughter knew where to find it could do more to compromise Batman's identity than her donning her costume. People as a rule, were generally naïve, but even that naiveté had its limits. Given the weapons in Batman's arsenal people already suspected Wayne of at the very least funding his efforts.

So for now, delay feels like the best option for her. Aiding her is the fact that the mansion is huge, but there aren't many places to hide from the nose of a hyena.

Apparently, Joker rarely traveled without them and had returned to his van to set them loose in the house. A closed door or two keep them away from her, but they still led them to her hiding places. She doesn't know what she hates more; having to elude them in the first place or having to wait on rescue.

"Obviously Wayne isn't here and the more time we waste chasing after the girl, the more likely someone else is going to show up…" Two-Face growls from somewhere a few rooms away from Barbara's current hiding place. "We came here for a reason remember…?" When Riddler promised them more than just money, Two-Face was intrigued. In his former life he was a friend of the man whose house they now inhabit. He could speak from experience that Bruce Wayne was more than he seemed on the surface. Plus, when it came to schemes, Riddler always seemed to know where the valuables were. But he doesn't like the fact that Nigma didn't give them more to go on.

"Who's gonna show up Harvey?" Joker questions back. "All communications are cut off- good boys! Daddy loves you!- If anything, the longer this takes the more likely it is that the rich boy shows up himself… not really seeing a problem here…" Joker wasn't interested in money, never has been. It's always been a means to an end to him. So when Riddler dangled the money carrot in front of Two-Face, Joker had every intention of leaving them to it. But when Riddler promised the answer to the greatest question of all, he became intrigued. In his more lucid moments, he suspected some sort of connection between Batman and Bruce Wayne and even if Riddler was wrong, the rich boy had proven himself good for a laugh or two in the past.

"Don't. Don't call me that…" Two-Face warns coldly. "And suppose Gordon shows up to check on his daughter?" This whole crime was out of his particular wheelhouse; he favored crimes with a duality about them; crimes that reflected the double-sided nature of man and himself. He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with chasing a girl around a mansion.

"Relax Facey baby!" Joker counters. "Harley's in the van and she'll signal us if anyone shows up. Or take care of them herself… We may not be here for the Commish's daughter, but nothing to stop us from having a little fun in the meantime…!"

Barbara is relieved her father had no idea about her relationship with Wayne so there would be no reason for him to come here at all. In fact, far as she knew he had been to the mansion only a time or two before. She was a little concerned about what sort of "fun" Joker had in mind. She'd called him insane, but insanity was something that could be treated. Joker was twisted beyond any comprehension.

Interrupting her brief period of reflection is the telltale scratching outside the room she currently is hiding in. A lot of the rooms here, connected to adjacent rooms in some way, except, or course for this one. She tried confusing the dogs by doubling back to previous spots, but their sense of smell, much keener than a normal dog, could distinguish between older and fresher scents.

"I do believe we have a winner…!" Joker laughs in delight outside the door. "I'll take door number one Alex!" Kicking in the door, the light from the hallway floods the room, revealing a defiant Barbara Gordon.

If she was going to have a last stand, she is determined to make sure someone pay the full price for it. The pain in her ribs had settled into full-blown scream of agony, but she had been trained to use the feeling. Extreme pain and panic results in a flood of adrenaline to the system. It didn't last long, but if she could get in enough solid shots she'd be satisfied with that.

Upon seeing her looking ready for a fight, Joker pulls out a gun and points it at her. "Miss Gordon. Please be aware, there are no cute flags in this gun…"

"I wonder then amigo… have you loaded it with an explanation?"

Upon hearing the voice, Barbara's blood runs cold. It makes perfect sense that Bane would be involved. He knew who Batman was and hated Bruce more than anyone else on the planet. Or more accurately, hated what Bruce represented; the one man capable of out-thinking and out fighting him. She was now at the mercy of three men who had very little qualms about killing.

"Bane?" Joker's curiosity laden question confirms what Barbara had feared. "Didn't I beat you to within an inch of your life not too long ago?"

Barbara watches in amazement as Bane knocks Joker into the wall with a vicious left. Before he can react he dispatches Two-Face with equal ease. The hyena's leap to the defense of their master, only to have their heads clapped together. They drop to the floor without a whimper and Bane looks up to meet the eyes of Barbara Gordon. His expression hid by his trademark mask.

**-Themyscira, Diana's room-**

The two of them left the archive library, flush from their earlier activity and manage to make it back to her old room without raising an alarm. Once in her room, Batman examines the surroundings. Diana watches him in amusement; he simply cannot stop being a detective. He moves along her room taking in the various works of art on the walls until he stops at her dresser. On top there are several pictures of her.

Diana opens her mouth several times to speak but closes it just as quickly. She wanted to talk to him about what they just did, what they were going to do going forward, her mind alive with questions.

"It is difficult for me to imagine it, but here is undeniable proof; Wonder Woman was once a child." Bruce laughs dryly holding up a picture of Diana as a child, riding the shoulders of her mother. It was an incredibly normal picture, which made Batman wonder what else he didn't know about her. And also how a race so stringent upon interference from the outside world, managed to procure a camera in the first place.

"Well I was!" Diana announces playfully snatching the frame from his grasp and placing it back on the dresser. "Just because you've been training to be Batman since you were five-" She catches herself, realizing her misstep but the words are already out. How could she be so stupid, she wonders. "I'm sorry…"

Bruce lost his parents at a very young age it was a story that everyone knew and she manages to wade into the minefield that is his childhood. Right after he had just let his guard down.

"That's just close enough to the truth to be funny…" Batman nods and she can see it beginning. The walls he placed between him and everyone else coming back into place. She will not allow that to happen, not after what they've shared tonight. She takes a seat on her bed, back against the headboard and motions to him.

"Join me." She sees the conflict in his eyes and motions again. "Please." For a long moment she is afraid he won't comply. He stands there in front of her, his face so unreadable he may as well still be wearing his cowl. When he takes his first step towards her she realizes she's been holding her breath this whole time.

He sits on the edge of the bed and looks at her. In his eyes there is still the steel she has gotten used to seeing, but now she also notes a small amount of apprehension there as well. She takes his shoulders and eases him back until his head rests in her lap. With her fingers she begins slowly rubbing his head reassuringly. Diana wants him to know he is safe here with her. That he can let his guard down with her.

"You never speak of them…" Diana states, continuing to run her hands through his hair, trying to coax him to relax.

"It is not something… that is pleasant to speak of…" Bruce answers shifting slightly. The image of his parents' death, the manner in which they were taken from him is as vivid now as if it had happened yesterday, not more than a decade ago. So is the anguish and fury that has fueled him ever since. There were times that it seemed he had an absolutely bottomless pit of rage in his soul. No wonder he had been tabbed more than once to become the living embodiment of vengeance on this planet.

"I do not mean their… death…. I mean their life. Dwelling on how they left this world, makes it seem as if their exit from it had more of an impact than their time on it…" Diana choses her words carefully not wanting to upset him, but wanting to draw him out.

"I suppose, no one has ever inquired…" Bruce remarks slightly amused. "Most people know not to ask the Batman about his past." She feels him stiffen up a bit before relaxing under her touch again. This is how it would always be with him; the dichotomy of his heart. One side desperate to love, to trust, the other desperate to protect himself. It was why he took Dick Grayson in. Why he formed the Justice League. And she hopes, why he was with her tonight.

But she wouldn't press him, she knew better, even though it went against all her instincts, she would remain patient.

Silence fills the room, but it is a comfortable one, a silence that says more than his words might. The fact that he seemed content to allow her to cradle his head in her lap filled her with more joy than any heartfelt revelations might have. But she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit to wanting more.

"What I remember most about them is their love…" His voice vibrates against her thigh, startling her and she wishes she could see his face. "They were happy. They truly enjoyed being together, enjoyed each other's company. That's not to say they never had fights or disagreements, but those instances never lasted long. They radiated a warmth that… enveloped you… the reason I… don't speak of them is I find it hard to communicate that in a way that anyone who had never met them would understand…"

Diana listens attentively not wanting to interrupt him. She understood full well how difficult some things could be to effectively explain. Diana had similar trouble trying to communicate why she felt compelled to intervene in the world of men in the first place, why she chose to stay and why she fell so completely in love with the haunted man in her lap. Her mother simply couldn't fathom any of it and she would be equally confused when Diana informs her that she plans on returning. It took a lot for her mother to extend the olive branch she had earlier and earlier Diana had every intention of taking it.

"And maybe…" Batman sighs heavily before continuing. "Maybe there is a part of me that wishes to keep those memories to myself…" Because of the way he lost them, he has always been protective of their memory, of who they were. It's why he fought so hard to keep Gotham safe; in dark shadows of alleyways and in the fluorescent lights of the boardroom.

Diana speaks up softly. "Then why… why share this with me…?" In the moment the question is out before she can think about, but she is glad she asked. It is important to the dynamic of their relationship. And it could represent a breakthrough.

Bruce groans before sitting up and turning to face Diana. "Because I'm tired…" Diana's confusion must be evident on her face because he chuckles lightly and takes her face in his hands. "What I mean is, I'm tired of fighting this. Fighting my feelings for you. Tired of burying my affection for you in my work, in the mission…"

Leaning into his touch she smiles. "I never thought I'd be able to wear you down… That you'd always be afraid someone might use me to get to you…" The feel of his hand on her cheek is enough to cause her heart to pound in her chest. She never noticed how completely he affected her until tonight.

Raising an eyebrow Batman shakes his head. "That was never my concern."

Diana, slightly taken aback, asks: "Then why-?"

Bruce stands and walks away, pacing and she knew this was it. This was perhaps the final wall erected between them and if he is willing to share, then they might have a chance. A small one, but a real chance at something better than she could have hoped.

"I chose this life…" Batman begins, still facing away from her. "While my clothes were still stained by my parents' blood, I chose to become who I am today. And in that choice I put my efforts into becoming Batman. I trained until my body nearly broke and then I trained some more. I spent hours developing skills, honing my mind and my body all for one purpose. But that purpose has only one end."

Diana stands from her bed and approaches him slowly. She has an idea of what he was saying; after all, she came from a race of warriors who had taken the same pledge. Service to truth and justice at all costs. "I know that, I know what you are and I do not fear it…"

Bruce turns to her and smiles painfully. "Diana, there is no retirement for people like me. This life I've chosen comes with one conclusion. My end won't come surrounded by a loving family lying in bed slowly ebbing away. It will be in the dark, cold, alone and bleeding with my enemy standing over me as I breathe my last. I understand that and I accept that. I remain alone because I don't want anyone going through that. I don't want someone's life completely upended by my certain and violent death. That's why we- why I wouldn't-"

Diana silences him with a finger and stares into his eyes. This admission is, she can tell, beginning to cause those walls to rise again. Stating his fears out loud likely have him thinking just how valid they are. She needed him to see the truth. "For the worlds' greatest detective, you are an idiot sometimes!"

Bruce smiles and Diana chuckles lightly. "Am I, Princess?"

"Yes!" Diana takes both of his hands in hers. "Dick, Barbara, Commissioner Gordon, Tim, Peter, Clark, all of the League…" She pauses and bites her lip nervously. "Me. We will all be irreparably hurt by your loss if it comes in thirty minutes or thirty years. Do you think that by pushing us away, by being aloof or distant has somehow managed to keep us from caring about you? Are you so blind you don't realize what you mean to us already? What you mean to me?" Her voice cracks slightly with that last statement. Dinah told her that professing your love to a man was a big no-no, but Diana did not like deception.

He doesn't respond with words. He pulls her in and kisses her deeply, locking his fingers in her hair and forcing her mouth closer to him. Her tongue explores his mouth with a gentleness that seems to run contrary to her previous words. The uniform that she'd hastily put back on pools around her feet and he lifts her from the floor, freeing her from it completely. She wraps her legs around him and holds her aloft by cradling her ample butt. Diana groans in his mouth as he firmly kneads the flesh there, breaking their kiss.

Taking the opportunity, he kisses her neck, searching for a spot he located not too long ago and is rewarded by another moan of approval. She was so sensitive to touch, he didn't know whether to attribute it to her lack of experience, her feelings for him or some combination. But you would not hear him complain either way.

"Bruce…"

Recognizing the desire and need in her plea he eases her back down onto the bed. In their passion and desire for each other their limbs entangle, making it hard to determine where he ends and she begins. He looks over her naked, flushed skin and sighs.

"I wish you could see yourself, Diana…" Bruce whispers overcome with emotion. "See yourself the way I see you… then maybe you would understand how difficult staying away from you has been…" As both Bruce Wayne and Batman he's had women that men would sell all their valuables for. Models, actresses, reporters, cat thieves and daughters of power mad despots, all stunning in their own ways. And yet the woman before him was in a class all her own.

Diana smiles and brings his face closer to his. "And I wish you could see yourself the way I see you… then you may understand why I could not allow you to…" Their lips meet again, ravenous for the feel of one another. Diana locks her left leg around his hips to bring his hardening excitement flush against her quickly dampening mound. Although his pants slightly bruise the soft lips of her she doesn't release her hold.

Still kissing her deeply, Bruce leans back slightly to disengage his trousers and with only a slightly disappointed murmur she allows him to. She was finding that she desired to be close to him, regardless of the circumstances, she craved the feel of his body on hers.

Having to stand away from her in order to remove his pants, she takes a moment to look at her lover in the much better light of her room. By the time he is finally free of his pants she grabs him and throws him to the bed, straddling him eagerly. Again she captures his lips with her own, but he sits up to breaks their kiss and drags his teeth lightly along her collarbone. Diana shivers, reveling in the sensation; she grabs his shoulders to steady her excitement. He trails his mouth down to a set of very erect nipples and encircles them with his tongue.

Diana, feeling him rise beneath her rotates her hips against him furiously. The memories of what he did to her in the library still very fresh in her mind she would not at all be opposed to a repeat performance. Especially in a bed, since their options were floor or table before.

With a small display of her strength, she pushes him flat against the bed. She no longer had any intention of being passive with him. Diana wanted him to know exactly whom he was laying with. She is not just any woman; she is a champion of Themyscira.

His hands tickle the sensitive flesh of her back as she assaults his mouth. She tries to control the emotions raging within her, remembering that she is powerful enough to shatter mountains if properly motivated. Reaching in between them she wraps her hands around his now solid shaft and strokes it lightly. The hiss that escapes him as she grinds her soaked lips against it are almost drowned out by her own gasp as the head inadvertently discovers her clit. She coats him with more of her juices, being careful not to allow him to slip from her grasp. Diana watches his face run through a host of expressions and she moves her hand to encircle the moist head.

"Are attempting to conquer me… Wonder Woman?" Bruce asks amused. Diana looks down into his eyes, which at this moment are alive with desire and affection.

"It is my way, Batman." She responds, ripping the silicon mesh Bruce wears beneath his uniform, the last vestige of clothing between them, from his chest. She tosses it to the side with a playful snarl revealing his bare chest. Completely naked and at her mercy she bites his chest lightly, never releasing him from her grasp. "I am a warrior, remember?"

"I seem to recall something to that effect…" Bruce muses. Locking his leg over hers he shifts his weight and climbs on top of her in one swift move. "Something that we have in common." He knew that it was her nature to be the aggressor. Before in the library she was unsure, of both herself and of him. Now that they have been together, more of her personality was coming through.

Pinning her wrists to the bed he looms over her menacingly. She stares back into his eyes with equal parts excitement and defiance. "I could free myself easily… you do realize this?"

Bruce presses both her shoulders slightly before releasing his hold on her wrist and she almost seems disappointed until she tries to move her arms. "What deviltry…?"

"Strength is a valuable asset," Bruce comments kissing the soft spot where her wrist meets her palm, running a trail down her left arm. "But there are other methods… nothing you can do will allow you to move your arms again." Bruce has never used his knowledge of pressure points in this manner before, but Diana has him doing many things he never thought he would. Much as he cared for Selena and Talia, both were never more than a distraction. There was no future in either relationship and he liked it that way. Now, he has to admit, he wants more from Diana than just sex. Although he would by no means turn that down.

A sliver of surprise crosses her face. "Impressive, as always… Do you plan on leaving me like this all night?" At the moment she finds herself in no hurry to move as his mouth leaves a burning trail of pleasure down to her core. Few times in life does fantasy equal reality, this is one of the even more unlikely moments where reality actually surpasses fantasy.

"My plan, Diana, is to fill this island with your screams of delight… I trust you won't mind?"

**-Wayne Manor, now-**

"Well I do mind!" Barbara hadn't meant to be so harsh, but he had really unnerved her.

"I can only continue to offer my apologies…"

Martian Manhunter had taken many different forms in his time on earth, but there were still times when he simply forgot that he was imitating someone else. He supposed it was an occupational hazard. After all, underneath his imitation he was still himself, even if people looking at him couldn't tell.

Unable to reach anyone close enough, he flew from the 'Tower as quickly as he could. A quick telepathic scan told him who was on the property. It also let him come up with the bare bones of a plan. Posing as Joker first so that he could approach Harley without issue and then assuming the form of Bane he was able to eliminate the threat to Batgirl. In his haste however, he didn't change form until after Barbara had charged him, causing them to end up in a tangle of limbs. His attempt to lighten the mood of the situation had not gone over too well. He, like M'gann still had difficulty grasping human humor.

"I'm sorry J'onn…" Barbara mumbles securing the restraints on an unconscious Joker. She should be ecstatic. Joker, Two-Face and Harley Quinn were all going to be shipped off to Black Gate. With Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Deadshot and Deathstroke already accounted for, this was a good day for the good guys. "I appreciate you coming here…"

J'onn nods. "I restored communication and contacted the authorities to let them know they have three dangerous criminals to pick up." The device Harley was using to jam the personal satellite that Batman had dedicated to the airspace above his mansion was much more sophisticated that he had suspected. The only way to deactivate it had been to phase his through the device, damaging the circuitry. Batman, he knew would want to take a look at it regardless, to learn how to counteract it in the future.

"Right. Good guys win again, right?" Barbara murmurs ruefully, suddenly very aware she is dressed in a t-shirt and an old pair of gym shorts. She looked nothing like the avenging angel of the night she was purported to be.

Picking up on her distress, he grasps her arms firmly so she has to look at him. "You have nothing to be ashamed off, Batgirl. Were you in top form, I doubt you would have needed my assistance at all. In fact, judging by the scene I arrived on, you may not have needed it anyway."

Barbara smiles warmly in spite of herself. "Thanks for that, J'onn. It's total crap, but thank you." Barbara is thankful that he had been the one to show up and not anyone else. Most people would have tried to make light of the situation, or worse tease her about it.

"Shall I wait here until the authorities arrive?"

"No- Yes actually, that would be best." Barbara ordinarily would have sent him away, but explaining not only how she managed to subdue three of Gotham's most wanted and what she was doing at Bruce Wayne's mansion would require some subterfuge. "I'm going to need your help explaining things…"

"So these three just knocked on the door and started rummaging through the place?"

Barbara could tell that Bullock was not convinced, not yet anyway, so she needed to lay it on as thick as possible. "No. Dick and I were in the sitting room, watching a movie and he heard a vehicle drive up. He thought it might be Alfred coming back since Mr. Wayne is out of town. When he looked out the window, that's when he saw them." Barbara tries to inject as much fear as she can into her voice without going into hysterics. She knew from experience that people would still be too numb to really freak out about the situation.

"That true, pretty boy?"

"That's what she said ain't it Bullock?" Barabra has to hold back a chuckle as J'onn plays Dick's indignation perfectly. "They picked the lock and we tried calling you guys but neither of us could get a signal out."

"And then they just decided, "Hey, robbing this rich kid is boring, let's beat each other unconscious?" If that's what yer selling kid, I ain't buying!"

"They were looking for something, Bullock!" This part was crucial. "Whatever it was they couldn't find it so they started arguing. The girl- Harley, I guess?- says something smart to Two-Face he hits her. Or at least it sounded like he did. He and Joker get into a scuffle-"

"And Captain Wonderful here takes them out while they're in a tizzy…"

"Joker had hit Two-Face with some sort of drug or something, he was already woozy…" Dick explains. "And Joker may be a maniac but he fights like a five year old girl!"

Bullock snorts at this and writes something down in his pad. "So you found some zip ties, secured them and called us? Got it… You'll understand if we want to bring you in later, just to dot the t's and cross the I's?"

"That won't be necessary Detective, I think you have enough…"

Bullock didn't like the story he was being fed, but he wasn't gonna roast the Commissioners' daughter for it. Whatever the truth was, he'd take the collar of three known felons as payment for going easy.

"I'm glad you were here son," James Gordon replies, clapping J'onn on the back gratefully. Leading him away from Barbara and Bullock he waits until they are out of earshot to continue. "If you weren't I shudder to think what these animals may have done to my dear Barbara…"

"I think she could have held her own sir…" J'onn gives Barbara a wink which she returns as she continues to talk to Bullock.

Gordon smiles looking at Barbara detailing the story to his detective. "Yeah, she'd have given them hell all right… one thing troubles me though…"

"Sir?" J'onn thought the story they crafted was air tight, but no one seemed to be buying it.

"I thought you two weren't seeing each other anymore?"

"I'm going to pay for this…" Barbara muses watching the last squad car pull away. Her father wasn't happy leaving her here and even less happy that she was spending time with Dick Grayson. He may not have known the whole story behind their break-up but he was never in favor of their relationship to begin with. And to sell the story, she had to be up at Wayne Manor for more than a visit.

"Your father, does he know-?"

Barbara looks at J'onn and then out the window at the fading lights of police cars. "I suppose, Batman would say he knows what he wants to know." She never gave much thought to whether her father knew about her nighttime activities, but she knows he is not a stupid man. He was a gifted detective before he became Commissioner, thinking he was completely in the dark about the vigilantes of his city would be a mistake.

J'onn nods in understanding. He'd come to realize that humans often wrapped themselves in layers of self-delusion. It was a defense against the cold realities of life and a skill he wished he possessed. He knew full well that the reason he spent so much of his time at the Tower was so that he could avoid becoming too attached to this world. Because he knew, in his doing so, the memories of his wife and daughter would fade even more than they already had. There had been nights when his dreams of Mars contained blank faces instead of those he had lost. Being surrounded by the warm and beautiful thoughts of women like Batgirl certainly didn't help.

Barbara turns back to J'onn and notes the troubled look on his face. "We must be so confusing to you… humans I mean…" Although his face remains impassive, Barbara swears she sees the remnants of a smile. "We wear masks to fight crime, masks to hide the fact we fight crime and we lie to ourselves and everyone else… yeesh… just saying that out loud is giving me a headache! I can only imagine what it's like for a telepath…"

This time J'onn does smile. "It's not as awful as you make it seem… Besides at their core most of the humans I've encountered are-"

"-insane, slightly narcissistic, insecure…?" Barbara laughs lightly, running a hand through her hair absentmindedly. That last description fits how she feels right now. J'onn always seemed to have such an air of nobility about him, a gravitas that made you feel small. With no one else around to act as a buffer she realizes that air is simply who he is, which is a more frightening prospect.

J'onn grabs her by her shoulders and looks down at her. "Would you like to know what I see in you?"

This is the one being on earth that might be capable of putting Superman down if it came to it, yet he has such a gentle way about him. Her voice fails her so she nods her head nervously.

"You are Intelligent, creative, disciplined and determined. You care for people, more than you care for yourself and would gladly lay your life down for a complete stranger. You're loyal to a fault, passionate and confident while still knowing your limitations."

Blushing furiously, Barbara tries to brush off the onslaught of compliments. "Sure we're talking about the same Barbara Gordon?"

J'onn looks down at her and the intensity in his eyes causes her to look away. "Of course I'm sure." He lifts her head up so that their eyes can meet. "Do you not see those same qualities in yourself?"

Instantly Barbara feels as if she is standing in front of the Martian naked and wraps her arms around herself defensively. She had never had anyone speak so definitively about her or so complimentary. Sensing her unease, J'onn backs away.

"I apologize, on my world, we tend to speak our minds and given that we can read one another's thoughts, there isn't much use or need for tact…" J'onn offers thoughtfully. It seemed every time he tried to offer comfort to one of his teammates he ended up falling short of the mark. "With the communication back up I'm sure you'll want to get in touch with Batman and let him know what's taken place here. I should head back to the Watchtower. The transporters are still down and all our best scientific minds are elsewhere at the moment…"

J'onn turns to fly back but Barbara stops him. "I could help you take a look at the array… I had some design input when they were constructed…" Barbara offers nervously. She realizes she hadn't really spent a great deal of time around him before and that she wants to.

"I would appreciate that greatly, Batgirl."

"Call me Barbara…"

**-Titans Tower, morning-**

Peter didn't want to head back to the mansion. He'd had the most disappointing night that he can remember and although he knew that wasn't saying much given his amnesia, the last place he wanted to be was Gotham. So he left Gotham train station, took to the rooftops and swung through the city until he arrives at Titan Tower.

Walking through the HQ, he finds things unusually mundane.

Beast Boy on the Xbox, M'gann and Kara chatting animatedly while eating breakfast; he walked by them without them even noticing. He continued down to the lower levels where he found Cyborg where he always was, his laboratory. Peter found it ironic that the former star athlete was now one of the most gifted scientific minds on the planet. Some of that of course had to do with his cybernetic enhancements, but they really just enhanced his natural talents. He notices he's on a video conference with the Martian Manhunter and steps in the room.

"-Batgirl has been invaluable to getting the array back online, now it's just a matter of re-synching it with the defense grid to keep out any further interstellar incursions." Batman mentioned to Peter before that he and Atom had been working on a way of keeping any transporters from working on Earth. Peter figures that must be what the Martian was referring to. Although, it was a surprise to hear that Batgirl was on the Watchtower instead of resting at home.

"Good to hear, J'onn! If you need any help, let me know." Cyborg disconnects the call and turns to Peter. "Surprised to see you here, Spiderman."

Peter's mind goes blank until he realizes the last time he was in the same room with Cyborg, he'd quit the Titans, quit being a superhero altogether. "You know how it is, Vic, _"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in…" _Am I right?" Peter jokes.

Vic nods his head. "Believe me I get it. You looking for Ravager?"

He hadn't been, but he was curious as to how she was recovering. "Isn't she still in the infirmary?"

"What do you think?"

"Right." Peter nods with a smirk. There's no way Rose could be bothered by something as normal as "recovery". Peter turns to head to the training room, but stops short. "Wait, what made you think I was looking for her anyway?"

**-Titan training room-**

Even at less than a hundred percent she was still poetry in motion.

Agile, fierce and determined, she makes her way through the various drones with ease, only favoring her injured arm slightly. He knew she healed quickly, but her recovery was pretty astounding. A special cast allowed the arm to heal while still keeping it safe.

"Like what you see, bug boy?" Rose asks without turning around. She takes down the last drone and catches the towel Peter throws to her.

Peter doesn't answer; he simply keeps staring at her. Her long, silver hair pulled back in a playful ponytail. Her well-toned legs, leading up to a fairly ample backside held in check with a pair of black fighting togs. She was frighteningly beautiful in that she could kill you all with an amazingly bright smile on her face.

Noting the way he is looking at her she begins to blush. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." She offers trying to come off offended.

Peter playfully takes out his cell phone. "Well if you insist…" As he manages to take a photo, she moves quickly and tries to take it away from him but as fast as she is, he is faster. Every time she reaches to grab a hold of the phone he evades her and takes another picture. Finally she stops going for the phone and goes after the man himself. She manages to catch him off balance and land on top of him.

"Getting slow there, Spider?" Rose teases holding his arms down as she looks down at him. She knew he was nearly untouchable in a fight, but he managed to fall victim to a simple trip move.

"Every consider Rose," Peter shifts his weight and flips position with Rose, with him now on top. "That I allowed you to gain a momentary advantage… in order to set myself up exactly where I wanted to be in the first place?"

Rose, in spite of herself, feels her heart begin to pound in anticipation. There was something about Peter that made her act like a schoolgirl with a crush. It was both exhilarating and annoying at the same time. "Why would you want to be-?"

"Isn't it obvious by now, Rose?" As he answers her, he leans in closer to her. She licks her lips in anticipation and sighs slightly as he lips finally press tentatively against hers. The first thing Peter notices is how remarkable soft and full her lips feel on his. Her tongue slides into his mouth and she shifts her legs to allow him room between her legs.

While they kiss, his hands loosen the tie holding her hair back and lift her head from the floor to gain more of her mouth. Her own hand slips below his neck but when she moves her other arm along his back, under his shirt, she winces in pain.

Peter breaks their kiss to look down at her. "You okay?" He had been so eager to kiss her and so happy she didn't immediately try to kill him, he forgot she was still recovering from a serious beating at the hands of Deathstroke.

Rose pulls him back to her and smiles. "I forgot about my broken arm…. But my lips work just fine." She wraps her legs hungrily around his hips and pulls him flush against her again and they resume their lip dance.

Peter slides his own hand up her shirt and cradles her sports bra clad breast in his hand. Her moan causes her to accidently bite his lip. "Sorry…" Rose apologizes a little embarrassed at her reaction. "No one's ever… I mean I haven't-" Despite the fact she once showed up in Robin's room wearing nothing but her eye patch, she was pretty inexperienced.

Peter understood what she was getting at and caresses her face warmly. "Neither have I…" A disturbing thought occurs to him; he has no idea how far he's gone with a girl. That thought causes him to pause and Rose notes the change in his mood.

"Peter…?" Rose asks breathlessly. She grabs his face and turns his attention back to her. "Whatever happened before, none of it matters now, because we're here now. And we both want this, right?"

Peter smiles and pulls her from the floor into his lap. "Absolutely!"

"Ravager? I've told you a thousand times once you finish a session you need to disable the drones and put them away!" Cyborg thankfully is not looking in the direction of Rose and Peter as he says this, which gives the two of them time to stand up and assume a position of complete innocence.

Ordinarily Rose wouldn't have cared who might have walked in on them, but she knew Peter would care. He was sweet like that. A fact that made him even more desirable in her eyes. "As advanced as those things are Tin-Man they should be able to police themselves up!"

Peter hides his chuckle with a cough. "Sorry Victor, someone obviously got a little… carried away with their training…" Rose smiles wickedly at Peter's remark causing Peter to raise a playful eyebrow in her direction.

"I'm surprised to see you training again so soon, Ravager." Starfire states, leading Robin, Beast Boy and Beetle into the room. Joining the four of them Wonder Girl and Miss Martian.

Wonder Girl, never really a fan of Ravager, echoes Starfire's statement. "You should be recovering. You're no good to the team if you keep pushing yourself like this. What are you trying to prove?"

"Didn't know you were so concerned about me, Wonder Bra." Rose quips causing both Beetle and Beast Boy to chuckle softly.

"You are a teammate, Ravager, we are concerned." Starfire answers before Wonder Girl can react. "We want you to be in the best shape you can. Not just for us, but for yourself."

"Well not all of us have superhuman alien bods, Goldie. Some of us actually have to work to stay in shape." Rose counters nastily. Even before the alien had made her intentions towards Peter clear she disliked the woman. But now she has even more reason to hold a grudge. She didn't know if Peter knew about Starfire's intentions, or if he was attracted to her himself, but that didn't matter. She was determined to stake her claim.

"Well since there appears to be no convincing you otherwise..." Starfire states coolly. "Spiderman, Robin wanted us to engage in a team training exercise, will you be able to join us?" No one else knew about his blow up with Robin before the mess in Gotham, as far as anyone knew he was still a part of the Titans. He himself isn't as sure. While he liked working with the others and felt close to them all, there was a lot about the way Robin handles things that he doesn't like.

"Actually Starfire-"

"-Spider and I just finished working up a pretty serious sweat, I think we'll hit the showers." Rose interrupts Peter, linking her arm protectively around his.

"Separately!" Peter adds a little too adamantly, causing Robin to look at him quizzically.

"Can I have a moment, Spiderman?" Robin asks in a way that lets everyone know that it is not a request. Following Robin to the other side of the room, Peter stands waiting for Robin to speak. "Does this mean you're unquitting?"

"I thought you were supposed to be some sort of a genius, Drake? You know that's not a word, right?" Peter jokes trying to lighten the mood. Robin doesn't seem amused.

"And I thought we discussed the fact that when the masks are on, we use code-names only? Especially considering that Slade managed to make his way in here not that long ago…" Robin chastises softly. Peter nearly points out the fact that although Robin was wearing his mask, he was not, but decides against it. He got the point and understood, even if he didn't like it.

"Of course, my mistake, Robin… if that's all…?" Peter turns to leave, but Robin grabs his arm firmly.

"Believe it or not, I'm glad you've decided to stay on." Robin admits, startling Peter, which causes him to chuckle. "Seriously, man, I may give you a hard time, but you're a great addition to the team… and a good influence on Rose…"

Peter looks back at Rose interacting with Beast Boy and Beetle and smiles. "She's a good influence on me too..."

Robin notes Peter's expression and nods knowingly. "Since you're back officially, mind if I offer a word of advice?"

"Do I have a choice?" Peter groans, knowing the answer already. One of the many things Robin and Batman had in common was the infuriating tendency to ask permission for something they were going to do whether permission was given or not. In Peter's opinion it would be better for them to not even offer refusal as an option, since it wasn't really one anyway.

Rather than answer, Robin continues. "Nightwing tried to cultivate a relationship with a team mate once, it didn't work out well for either of them. It rarely does." Starfire and Nightwing's break up caused Starfire to take a temporary leave from the team. In fact, she only came back once Nightwing moved to Bludhaven and started his solo work.

Peter nods but doesn't agree. "Maybe you and Batman can live the life of solitary vigilante. Keep a person at an arm's length, refusing to open up to anyone, maybe that works for you. And I'm not knocking it. I get it. I may not have been at this thing as long as either of you, but I can see the logic behind it. But I can't be ruled by logic, by being safe. And if you think about it, what's logical about putting on a mask and fighting insane criminals in dark alleyways risking your life every night? What's safe about rushing headlong into danger the way we do?" Peter hadn't meant to go on a rant, but he was getting tired of people "suggesting" how he should live his life.

"I just want you to be careful, Spiderman." Robin states, placing his hand on Peter's shoulder. "There's a lot that you still don't know about this life, about yourself. With everything that's gone on the last few months, just… just be careful…" Robin knew that nothing he could say would stop Peter from doing what he wants to, but he hopes that he will at least take the implications of his actions seriously. He knew there was some connection between Peter's sudden appearance and all that had been going on with Ares. In his mind, that meant that his presence in their lives might only be temporary. He was sure that Peter himself had to have come to that same conclusion.

All the confidence Peter had a moment ago is drained by those words and he stands in front Robin feeling unsure. Rose wanted him to live in the now, Bruce and Robin wanted him to discover his past and the Spectre kept hinting at some great conflict in his future; all of it was aggravating to no end. "… I'll give your advice some thought…" Peter mumbles.

His trip to New York had offered him nothing in the way of explanations; it only left him even more confused and aggravated. Spectre showing up reinforced just how little he really knew about himself. Living for the moment was fine when he thought that his past didn't matter, but now he realizes until he finds out the truth about himself, he'll always be filled with doubt.

"That's all I ask…" Robin responds, watching him closely. He hadn't meant to crush Peter's spirits, but he also wanted him to be aware of the consequences his actions could have. Rose wasn't that far removed from a criminal past. The team was just beginning to trust her and she them, meaning that her situation was still fragile. "For the record, I don't think the solitary life works for any of us. Batman's had his share of relationships and despite what he may tell you, they meant something. Pretending that we don't need people to care about us is the lie we tell everyone else… even though we all know the truth…. Why do you think Batman was so eager to get to Themyscira?"

Peter hadn't been expecting that admission from Robin and smiles gratefully. "That did strike me as a little odd…" Peter answers amused. "You're all right Drake."

"Don't let it get around…" Robin turns to his other teammates and yells. "All right team, let's run situation bravo!"

Rose rolls her eyes comically at Robin's drill sergeant routine and notices Peter leaving. "That's my cue…"

"Since when do you pass up a chance to train?" Beast Boy asks stretching in preparation for the drill.

"There are other ways to work up a nice sweat… right?" Rose answers Beast Boy, but is looking at Starfire who meets her gaze obviously confused. Rose doesn't elaborate or give her a chance to ask about what she means, she walks swiftly to the exit Peter just left from.

**-Themyscira, Flash's room-**

"Ugh… is it morning already…?"

Wally looks back at Artemis as she stretches and yawns. If she hadn't spoken he would have chalked last night up to an incredibly vivid dream. But there she is; the Amazonian warrior who had shared both a shower and a bed with him. "Yes, it is, how did you sleep?"

"I did not," Artemis smirks naughtily. "Or have you forgotten?" After they enjoyed each other's bodies, they talked. She found him surprisingly interesting and intelligent. Wiser than his comical act would have led her to believe. At some point though, talking had ceased and she craved another type of communication. And he proved himself more than up to the task.

"How could I?" Wally rejoins her on the bed and looks at her. She was so different from any other woman he knew. Most women could never understand the life he chose for himself or the way he lived. Artemis not only understood, but also could empathize. Her beauty was natural, without the aid of extensions, make up or any of the other artificial enhancements so many needed. Just thinking about her in comparison to his past lovers, made him wonder what he could have ever saw in any of them. Pulling her to him she yields to him as he kisses her. "You're so beautiful…" He whispers in awe as they break their kiss.

"Gods, Wally, how can you say that?" Artemis sputters embarrassed. "My hair is a tangled mess, I am sure my face has faired no better and between the sweat and-"

"If it makes you feel better, we could take another shower…" Wally offers wickedly. That had been the biggest surprise of his life. And the best.

Before Artemis can answer, the door swings open revealing Hippolyta and two of her attendants. Thanks to his speed, Wally is able to cover himself under the sheets, but the fact remains that he is now in bed with the queens' most formidable and loyal warrior.

"I had come here to offer you breakfast, yet I see you may have an appetite for something other than food…" Hippolyta condemns with a stern look.

The comment causes Wally to laugh, thinking of how he had devoured every inch of Artemis last night and had every intention of doing so again, but Artemis looks down embarrassed.

"My Queen, I can explain-"

"Can you?" Hippolyta asks raising a judgmental brow in her direction. "Tell me then; did some strange malady afflict you causing your imminent demise? Then, just at the point of death, you discovered that only through the semen of a mortal would you yet live? Is that why you parted your thighs as any harlot might and eagerly accepted the cure?"

"Hey!" Wally interjects, dressing and leaping from the bed. "You may be queen around here, but you don't get to speak to her like that!" He found her words not only harsh, but also unnecessarily cruel. She was intentionally trying to hurt Artemis and belittle his feelings for her.

"Wally please-!"

"Wally?" Hippolyta yells angrily. "He is Flash to you, Artemis and when he leaves you will not speak of, or to him again. Leave before he soils your station and my opinion of you further!"

Wally opens his mouth again to protest, but Artemis grabs his arm and she pulls herself free of the bed. Wrapping herself in the sheet, she walks head down from the room. She turns back to look at him, but before he can speak she turns away and leaves.

"Satisfied?" Wally asks exasperated. He knew there were rules here about these sorts of relationships, but he didn't think Hippolyta would react so critically towards Artemis.

"Not until you and your ebony clad conspirator are off my island… and if you darken our shores again, you will see my less diplomatic side." Hippolyta answers with a venom that leaves no doubt as to her seriousness. If men were forbidden before, he could only imagine what it might mean for one to wander on these shores accidently.

"What is your problem anyway?" Wally asks incredulously. "Why do you hate men so much?"

"Because all you know how to do is destroy. Whether that destruction falls upon buildings or hearts, you care not. Now, please make your preparations to leave. Whatever courtesy or favor you may have accumulated with me is spent."

**-Diana's room-**

Diana knew he wasn't asleep, but she didn't want to move.

She doesn't want this moment to end.

Despite his rather formidable stamina, they spent most of the night and early morning talking. They shared stories of their early lives; some made them chuckle, others were more serious in nature. The whole time she lay across his chest, listening to the rough timber of his voice as he spoke of things few people knew. When it was her time to share, he stroked her hair soothingly or ran his calloused hands up and down the small of her back. She tried not to allow his touch to entice her, and for the most part she had been successful.

At some point, while the sky was still dark, she fell asleep in his arms. So when she stirred in the morning and found herself in such a wonderful position she didn't want to disturb the moment.

"You realize we cannot stay in bed all day, don't you?"

"I cannot hear you, I am still asleep." Diana protests, burying her face into his chest further.

"People who are asleep, rarely confirm that they are asleep… I may not be the worlds' greatest detective, but I know that." Bruce jokes, lifting her face up so that he could look into her eyes. He almost wishes he hadn't; she is even lovelier now than she had ever been. The loving warmth in them was painful to look at. He never imagined he'd be here and he was still trying to come to grips with it.

"Obviously you are not a great detective or you would deduce that when a woman is naked and lying in your arms, you should do whatever she wants to do!" Diana teases, pouting playfully.

"Well then, what does she want to do?" Bruce asks with a light kiss on her forehead.

Swinging her body fully on top of his she lays directly on top of him. "I figure that we could start with something like this…" Keeping her eyes on him she kisses him softly. "Work our way down-"

"Diana!" Bruce warns harshly.

"Don't worry, Bruce I'll be gentle…" Diana answers, ignorant of the urgency in his voice, or why he was pushing her off him. "Why are you-?"

"First my Lieutenant, now my daughter. Perhaps I should simply open my borders to all the men of your world. Get it over with in one night!"

Diana scurries under the covers with a shriek of surprise while Batman calmly puts on his pants and stands in front of Hippolyta and her attendants. "Perhaps, the first thing you should do is learn that it is polite, in civilized society, to knock before entering a room that isn't yours."

"I am queen of this land, Dark Knight, all of the rooms here are mine by right!" Hippolyta argues defiantly. She had hoped her daughter would join her for breakfast, maybe a ride along the coast afterwards. They had begun to make some progress the other day towards reconciliation and she wanted to continue that. Instead of finding her alone, she finds her daughter in the arms of a man. Much the same as she had Artemis.

"With respect, your highness, perhaps that is the reason your daughter left here to begin with. Since you seem eager to control every aspect of the people you claim to love. Even God allows people to have free will, yet you, much like the men you despise, chose to rule with an unwavering iron fist. I know some dictators who could learn from your example." Batman states evenly. He often viewed Themyscira as a police state and this morning was proving his belief all too correct.

"Batman, please!" Diana pleads, stepping in front of him now dressed. "She is not just the queen, she is my mother!"

"He doesn't understand respect, daughter, men are incapable of comprehending such concepts!" Hippolyta spats angrily. She hates that this man has soiled her daughter, but is pleased to see Diana has not forgotten her role. "It is of no consequence though, I have communicated to his comrade that he is to leave, I offer the same to you Batman. Consider it mercy that I allow you to leave."

"Of course, the archives proved to offer no insight, we should return to the 'Tower to consider our next move…" Diana states. While it was true that Batman hadn't had the chance to look through the archives thoroughly, perhaps they could still piece some of the puzzle together.

"_**They**_ will be leaving, but you daughter will stay here. As you promised to."

**-Peter's room, Titan's Tower-**

Peter lies across the bed staring at the ceiling thinking.

The Spectre told him that when this was over he could return to his former life, whatever that was or stay here. A few months ago that would have been a simple choice, but now, he had found a purpose. Made friends, how could he simply leave them behind?

Then again, who's to say those he had already left behind weren't missing him now? He'd been here the better part of half a year, but he'd been there, wherever "there" was, for all of his life. Surely there would be friends, family, that would be happy to see him return. And he would be happy to see them once he remembered who they were.

"You're wearing that frowny face you get when you're thinking too much… What have I told you about that?"

"Rose I-" Peter sits up and turns to the doorway to find Rose softly closing his door behind her. Wearing nothing but a towel, around her head. "Wow…"

"Got that right!"

_**A/N: Will Rose and Peter finally…? (Readers what do you think? Yay or nay on the hook up? You can sway the story!) Ares and the Justice League get equally unlikely visitors that turn the entire universe upside down! Or maybe right side up…?**_


End file.
